


Hearts on the Line

by Dpanda_17



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Alya Césaire Is The Best, Arranged Marriage, Bets & Wagers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Redemption, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Ships It, Good Bro Nino Lahiffe, Good Parent Gabriel Agreste, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Kagami Tsurugi Bashing, Lovesick Adrien Agreste, Marriage Proposal, Minor Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Parent Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:22:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28941408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dpanda_17/pseuds/Dpanda_17
Summary: Adrien and Marinette were perfectly content with dating in secret. Until Gabriel came and forced Adrien to marry Kagami. The young couple was pushed into breaking up, leaving Adrien to a loveless marriage that inevitably ended in divorce a year later. One good thing came, however, and that was his little princess, Emma.Four year later, after focusing primarily on his daughter and job, Adrien decides to shoot his shot again with the woman who held his heart all these years. Will Marinette go back to him willingly?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Comments: 50
Kudos: 85





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo! Just in time for Valentine’s Day! If it’s already February 15th when you see this, then happy Monday ☺️ Hope you all enjoy this Single Dadrien AU!!!

Adrien Agreste was the man of everyone’s dreams. Whether that was parents trying to find the perfect son-in-law or the swarm of fans praying they could marry him, it was in no doubt that he was the most sought after man in all of Paris. His kindness, modesty, appealing work ethic, and more than loaded bank account were only matched by his strikingly good looks; those that could make fangirls–and sometimes even boys–drop dead on their feet. He had a promising future: CEO-in-training of the most successful fashion design industry in France, two business degrees, and a bachelor's degree in physics. His intelligence only made people want him more. 

Yet, unfortunately for the thousands of fans, he had already found his true love, and she was currently snuggled on the couch with him after some scrumptious Italian pasta and wine. Wrapped in her warm embrace, Adrien never felt like moving, even if it was to grab the warm cookies that they baked together that same evening. 

“How many times have I told you that you look gorgeous today, Marinette?” He whispered into her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek right after. 

“More than I can count.” she rolled her eyes, pausing the movie and sitting up to face him. “You are such a flirt, you know that?” 

“I know.” He grinned, “But you love me regardless.” 

“I’m kinda second-guessing that decision right now,” she giggled, bopping his nose with her finger. With a sly grin on his face, he picked up a pillow and hit her with it, erupting into laughter. In a haze, they were in a full-fledged pillow fight, giggles and elated shrieks included. Before hitting her after their fifteenth minute of indulging in their epic pillow war, Adrien caught her lips with his, putting a truce on it. 

It was moments like these Adrien treasured with every fiber of his being, the worth more valuable than all the money in the world. He lifted her onto his lap, a shiver running down his spine after she deepened their kiss. 

“I love you. I wish I could shout it to the world.” he proclaimed after parting his lips from hers. 

Marinette sighed, sudden pain striking her eyes. “Adrien, you know we can’t do that. Your father’s policy has forbidden it. As much as it hurts to know that our closest friends and my family are the only ones that are aware of this, we can’t afford to do anything else.” She caressed his cheek, watching how suddenly his face fell. 

“I know. I’m just tired of having to wait for us to be alone in order to treat you as anything more than a friend.” He chuckled softly at the word. “It’s funny how at first I couldn’t open my eyes to see you were more, and once I did, I’m not able to tell anyone about it.” 

Gabriel Agreste enacted a policy six months after Marinette and Adrien first got together stating that employees of  _ Gabriel  _ couldn’t have romantic relationships with Adrien under any circumstances. Not wanting to lose each other, they refrained from telling Gabriel anything about their relationship. Now, nearly embarking on their second anniversary, they continued to meet each other in the shadows, far from Gabriel’s vigilant eyes. 

“I love you, too, you silly cat,” she painfully laughed, brushing his hair out of his face. “So much.” She kissed him again, fully knowing that she wouldn’t be able to do that again for another week when they couldn’t meet each other outside of ‘ _ Gabriel’  _ offices.

If it were possible to develop more adoration for someone with every passing day, Adrien fell victim. He couldn’t get enough of her heavenly kisses, her touch, her addicting blue eyes and luscious, long raven hair, the way she always somehow managed to smell like vanilla and sugar. The risks, as they both had discussed after the policy was first imposed, were worth it. 

“Speaking of cats,” Adrien smiled, gesturing over to the armchair. Plagg and Tikki were cuddled up together on the armrest, just as Adrien and Marinette were minutes earlier. 

“Awww,” Marinette gushed. “I hope we didn’t wake them up with our screaming.”

“Nonsense. Plagg can sleep through anything.” He clutched Marinette closer. “Like someone I know.” 

“Shut up, I haven’t been late to work in a long time!” 

Adrien raised an eyebrow, his knowing smirk would surely coax the truth after her, but he didn’t need her confession. “Whatever you say m’lady, but I’ll have you know, all employee attendance records are reported back to me as CEO-in-training.” Marinette blushed and looked down, avoiding his gaze. It was surprising how well this man knew her at this point. 

Adrien’s electric green eyes shot towards his phone, which illuminated with a text message. Other than the television, it was the only source of light in the room, if one could count the glow of the full moon. “Milady, it’s past midnight. Do you want to stay here tonight or go home?” 

“It’s past midnight, my eyes can barely stay open at this point, and I’ve had a little more than the modest amount of wine. I don’t think it would be safe if I swung through the streets of Paris tonight. Besides,” She leaned closer to him, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “I don’t want to go. You’re really warm.” 

“Then it’s settled.” Without a second thought, he picked her up bridal-style, running into the master bedroom and laying her down on the bed. Slumping down next to her, they snuggled into the blanket. “As impossible as it sounds, you look even prettier in the moonlight.”

Even in the darkness of the room, he could see her cheeks flush bright red. “Stop it! I’m trying to sleep!”

“Aw, you’re blushing like a rose,” he snickered, peppering her face in kisses. “How do I still manage to make you blush like that, even after all these years?”

“I don’t know, kitty, maybe it’s your ‘charming personality’.” she rolled her eyes, turning in the opposite direction to avoid his cheeky gaze. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sleep.” 

“Whatever you say, milady,” he smirked, pressing a lingering kiss against her cheek, and rolling on top of her. Lust danced in his eyes as he kissed her again, one hand creeping up underneath her (his that she had stolen) t-shirt. 

Something told her she wouldn’t be getting any sleep after all. 

***

Adrien practically skipped around the office building, floating on air. Flashing a smile to his fellow co-workers, he pondered where the extra pep in his step and the cheery mood was originating from. Maybe it was the memories from spending his entire weekend with his lovely girlfriend or the unpurposeful whipped cream in his morning coffee. 

He walked into Marinette’s private office room, watching as she was already hard at work finishing new ensembles for the new line release. “I’m going to pretend I’m here to look at your fabulous designs,” Adrien chuckled, setting a coffee down on the only free space on her desk which was flooded with fabric, pins, and needles. 

“What, you couldn’t stay away from me for more than a day?” She giggled, setting down the fabric and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Despite her teasing, she still took the coffee eagerly, as if it was her only means of survival. 

“How could I when I have the prettiest girl in the world?” 

“Goddamn it, Agreste,” she pulled him in for a kiss but cutting it rather short in order to not raise suspicions about his lipstick-stained lips. He pouted when she let him go, reluctantly wiping the red off his lips with a tissue. “Stop pouting, we both know I’m not supposed to kiss you.” 

“I hate that we have to do this.” 

“I know.” 

“I hate that I have to go.” 

“I know.”

“I love you so much.” 

“I know.” 

They leaned in to kiss each other again only to hesitate and draw their lips apart. He dug his head in the crook of her neck, all of him not wanting to leave her luscious warmth. It sounded ludicrous, how they were confidentially seeing each other as if they were part of some Shakespearian tragedy. Yet it was hard, stealing their five minutes of heaven daily and not being able to go out together as anything more than friends. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Adrien whispered. 

“Of course.” She watched as he reluctantly got up and headed towards the door. They thought that after two years of doing this, they would be used to it. And, to an extent, they were. They were used to others hitting on them and were used to being seen with others in public. There was no shortage of articles questioning if Adrien had a secret lover, and, more often than not, contained something or the other about Marinette. Both would turn down the rumors every single time but would glance at each other from opposite ends of the room. Of all things he was used to, Adrien would never be accustomed to having to leave her. 

Marinette got up and hugged him again before he left, moving the collar of his button-down shirt and pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “There,” she said. “No one will see now.” She stepped back, straightening his clothes and fixing his messed-up hair. “You should probably go, or else people will get suspicious. I love you.” 

“I love you too, m’lady.” He kissed her hand and bowed like a prince, making her giggle slightly. Opening the door behind him, he left to go to his office, feeling more elated than he had previously. It was like he and Marinette were star-crossed lovers, pulled apart by overwhelming forces out of their control, or something straight out of a romance novel. When he reached the door of his office, however, he didn’t expect to see the overwhelming external force sitting on the chair across from his desk. Adrien stopped dead in his tracks, closing the door behind him. He winced at the unnecessarily loud sound it made and set his bag down on the floor. 

Gabriel cleared his throat, getting up from the chair and walking over to his son. “Adrien. I believe I have some good news.” 

Adrien blinked, trying to understand what he was seeing and hearing. Was his father, Gabriel Agreste, the coldest man in the world, smiling? “Yes, Father?” 

“I believe you remember Mlle. Tsurugi, don’t you. She was your fencing partner when you were a teenager. Her mother and I were discussing a union between you two. After all, you’re twenty-three now.”

Adrien felt the apprehension coursing through his veins. He gulped down the lump building in the back of his throat, his palms turning sweaty as he ran them up and down his trousers. “Kagami and I are getting married?” 

Gabriel nodded, resting one hand on his son’s shoulder. “Mme Tsurugi and I will be announcing it at a press conference on Thursday evening. The engagement party will be held this weekend, and, don’t worry, you’re allowed to invite your little friends.”

Adrien tried his hardest to keep a straight face. He was going to have to tell Marinette that they’d have to break up, that he was forcefully getting married to someone else. What would be the look on her face? Would she start crying? Would she hate him? Would she understand? Would she make some elaborate plan for the both of them to get married and head off to a faraway country and have a house with three kids that they’d always envisioned? Adrien hoped for the third or fourth option, seeing as both of those involved her not hating him.

“I understand, Father. But… what if I don’t want that?” 

“If you don’t, then you’d be betraying everything that  _ Gabriel _ stands for. And me! Tomoe and I have always agreed upon you and Kagami getting married. And I thought you were rather fond of her back when you were a teenager.” 

“Yeah, I was fond of her! She’s my friend, and I don’t want her to be anything more!”

“Adrien Agreste, you will adhere to these plans. I have given you nothing but success, and don’t make me take it away. If you do choose to rebel, then I will have no hesitancy in firing you and blacklisting you. Then you will have many problems finding a new job, and you will realize that you should’ve listened to your father all along.” Gabriel left the room and slammed the door, leaving Adrien all alone. He slumped onto his chair, burying his face in his hands, wondering how he was going to break the news to Marinette. 

“What am I supposed to do, Plagg?” He asked the kwami, who had just flown out of his bag at the dismissal of his father. 

“You’re gonna have to tell pigtails. It’s not like your father is giving you any choice in the matter.” 

“But couldn’t I find a loophole? Some sort of way we could be together and I won’t lose everything I’ve worked hard for?”

“If you don’t tell Marinette, she’s going to find out through the press conference on Friday. Now, she’ll be even angrier if you don’t tell her, and all your chances of her not completely despising you for the rest of your life will entirely diminish. The choice is yours, Adrien. Now! Give me cheese!” Adrien obliged, opening the mini-fridge and letting Plagg dig in. 

So much for his good mood.

***

Adrien paced around his apartment three days later, wondering how he was going to break the news to Marinette. This was his last chance. He’d been trying since he’d learned the news and the press conference was the following Friday. 

Less than twenty-four hours away. 

He and Marinette already had a date planned for this night, and he thought that he should mention it before they get too close to the point of no return. He repeated his speech for the umpteenth time, trying to make sure he wouldn’t break her heart—and his–too badly. 

As Ladybug, she swung onto his balcony railing and knocked on the window for Adrien. She would enter through the front door like everyone else, but Adrien’s apartment building had a doorman and top-notch security. People would get a little suspicious if they saw her constantly asking to go to Adrien Agreste’s apartment. He opened the door for her, letting her de-transform before she leaped into his arms, hugging and kissing him as a greeting. 

When he cut their short makeout session was cut even shorter by Adrien taking a step back and sighing sadly, Marinette began to worry. “Kitty, what’s wrong? Your breathing is unsteady and you seem really tense. She brought her hand up to his forehead, checking his temperature for any inflammations. He grabbed onto her upper arm, clutching onto her like she was his lifeline. 

“I…” He was unable to finish his sentence, wanting so bad to continue to drown himself in her heavenly kisses. He refrained himself, aware that even another peck on the cheek would make this ten times harder for him to digest. He swallowed the saliva building in the back of his throat, mustering up a comprehensible sentence. “You’re not going to like this.” And he didn’t like that he was being a dope and putting this off further.  _ Rip the bandaid off, Agreste,  _ he mentally scolded himself. He could feel Plagg’s disappointed glare etching itself into his brain despite having his back to the little kwami. 

“What am I not going to like?” Marinette asked, her expression worrying as a response to his panicked eyes. 

He sighed, avoiding eye contact with her. “I’m getting married.” He was expecting a massive freak out, crying, screaming, or shouting, but he didn’t hear anything. It was worrying, no, alarming. 

Instead, he heard laughter. Genuine laughter. His eyes perked up at her to see her giggling uncontrollably, trying to hide her elated eyes with her hand. “Adrien Agreste! Was this your dumb way of proposing to me? Because we’re already having a hard enough time hiding our relationship from the public, how are we supposed to hide a marriage? As much as I love to, you know I can’t say yes just yet.” 

“No, Marinette. I think you misunderstood. While I am getting married, you’re, unfortunately, not going to be my bride.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Father’s forcing me into a marriage with Kagami, and he’s threatening to make it impossible to live a life where I’m not dirt-poor on the streets if I don’t. He told me today and is announcing it at a press conference with reporters tomorrow. Neither Kagami nor I had any say in the matter. I’m really sorry, Marinette. I wish it could be you I’m marrying, I really do.” He did lie about when his father did tell him, but only because he couldn’t afford to have her any angrier that he didn’t tell her sooner. 

“Oh.” She let go of his hands, calling for her transformation once again. “I probably should go. I wish you the best life with your fiancée, Adrien.” She walked out of the living room and back onto the balcony, crouching on the railing and preparing to leave. 

“Marinette, wait.” He sighed, following after her. “You know I really don’t want to do this, right?” 

“It doesn’t matter, Chato–” Tears built in her eyes as she cut herself off, not being able to utter her nickname for him. “Bye.” 

“I…” He started, but she was already gone. “…love you.” 

Running back inside, he shouted, sinking against the glass balcony door. His tears ran free as he buried his face into his knees. “Plagg, claws–”

“No, Adrien. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Plagg intervened. “Trust me.” 

“I don’t care! I need to go to my father and demand that he call off the engagement. I’ll put up a big fight, I do anything and everything I need to to ensure that Marinette will be mine, and we won’t have to hide anymore.” 

“He won’t oblige. You’ll only make him angrier. I’ve had many miraculous holders, and they’ve all experienced tremendous heartbreak as you currently are. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my thousands of years on this planet, it’s that you have to move on. You have to marry Kagami.” 

“Fine. But that won’t stop me from trying to get Marinette back one last time.” Adrien got up and ran to grab his wallet, dashing out of his apartment and out of the building. He had one last chance, he couldn’t blow it. 

On the night of his engagement party, Adrien scanned the room to see if Marinette was there. He caught sight of her pink, tea-length dress as she had a glass of champagne along with Alya and Nino. Although she was smiling, Adrien could see right through her facade, and that she really didn’t want to be there. He steered through the crowds, asking Marinette if he could have a minute with her, before dragging her out into the hallway. 

“What do you want? We called it quits, and I’m not going to come chasing after you again,” She scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

“Please, Marinette. Just give me one more shot. If you agree, then I’ll end this whole thing with Kagami and fight my father as long as I have to for him to let me date you. He already likes you, maybe he’ll accede.” 

“Fine.” 

He made sure no one was around, and dropped down to his knee, pulling out a velvet box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a gold ring with red rubies decorating the top. Marinette covered her mouth with her hands, watching as he lopsidedly grinned. “Marinette, you’ve been the light of my life since the moment I laid eyes on you. Time and time again I fall in love with you, and every moment with you is pure heaven. I love you, I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you, start a family with you, grow old with you by my side. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you marry me?” 

“Oh, Adrien!” She dried her building tears, and her face immediately fell. “I can’t. No, I can’t marry you.” 

He stood up, grabbing her shoulder. “Why not?” 

“You’re throwing your life away for me! I can’t let you do that, Adrien.” She shrugged his hand off her shoulder, tears falling freely down her cheeks. “I asked Monsieur Agreste to transfer me to Agreste Fashion’s Milan department. I’m moving there in a week and continuing working on my designs there. We’ll be far away from each other and you can live out your life with Kagami.” 

“Marinette, you can’t go! I love you, and I want only you!” 

“I know you do, but I don’t think it would be fair if I stick around. It’ll only be harder. I-” Her voice broke. “Probably should go.” 

Adrien looked down at his shoes, not wanting to watch her leave. He tucked the ring box into his jacket pocket. He went back inside, checking one more time to see if she was really gone. What if she had turned back? What if she rethought her decision? No. She had left. 

His lady was gone. 

***

“What?” Adrien asked Kagami, who was yelling at him. They were four months into their marriage, and nothing about it had been good. They worked themselves to the bone all day, then came home and never spoke at dinner. Adrien slept in their guest room every night, often waking up from nightmares or lucid dreams. He’d cry for Marinette, hoping she’d come and comfort him, but she never did. She was in Milan, probably living out her best life. 

“I’m telling you I’m pregnant, idiot!” 

They were constantly pressured by Tomoe to produce a grandchild, and one night, they agreed and had what was the most awkward intimacy either had ever faced. It was nothing like how it was when he had made love with Marinette, and, frankly, Adrien did not expect Kagami to get pregnant in one shot. 

“How far along are you?” Adrien awkwardly shifted his weight from one leg to the other, crossing his arms. 

“A month. I found out when I went to my physician yesterday.” 

“So what are you going to do? Abort it? Keep it?”

“Mother is not going to agree to me aborting her first grandchild. I’m afraid we’re stuck with it.” 

Adrien gulped, wondering what life would be like once they have a child. “Um. We’ve already been talking about splitting up. What are we going to do now?” It was a lot to process, knowing that he was now going to have a child. A child. He’d always imagined having his first with Marinette, and they’d have two more afterward. Preferably two boys and a girl, but the genders didn’t matter. 

“I guess we have to tell Mother and Gabriel and get through the pregnancy. Hopefully, we can hope for the best and I’ll miscarry.” 

Adrien raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you having a miscarriage is the best option. If it were up to me, I’d keep him or her. I’ve always wanted to have a child of my own.” 

“That, Adrien Agreste, is where you and I are different. I’ve never wanted to get a corporate job at Mother’s company, or get married, or have a child. But we’ll have to bear through this.” 

“Okay, let’s do this.” 

Eight months later, in early June, Kagami gave birth to a healthy baby girl they named Emma Agreste. She inherited her mother’s hazel eyes, but her father’s golden hair. Generally, Emma looked and acted more like Adrien than she did Kagami. Both Gabriel and Tomoe were over the moon with their newborn grandchild, but Gabriel was more obsessed with Emma than Adrien had thought was possible. 

Unfortunately, three months after Emma's birth, Adrien and Kagami’s fights started getting worse to the point of plates being smashed. Kagami left Adrien and Emma alone and filed for a divorce, renouncing her title as Emma’s mother. She fled to Japan and Adrien was left all alone with a big house and a three-month-old. Alya and Nino started helping him in any way they were able to, as the newlyweds were more than empathetic of Adrien’s situation. He received no word from Marinette, except for the odd ‘happy birthday’ texts. 

Gabriel, shortly after the divorce, came to see his son, who was in process of packing up his belongings to move to a small apartment with his daughter. 

“Son,” he had said, gesturing for Adrien to sit next to him on the couch. “Are you sad that Kagami left you?” 

“I’m more stressed than I am sad. Now I’ll have to raise Emma all on my own.” 

“I apologize for pushing you into this marriage. It was more for my personal gain than it was for yours. I should’ve let you marry Mlle Dupain-Cheng as you had wanted to.”

Adrien practically jumped out of his seat, bewildered by his father’s statement. “You knew about me and Marinette?” 

Gabriel nodded, laughing softly. “You acted around her the same way that I did with your mother, a lovestruck little puppy. I knew from the start of the two years you two were together. She was a quite remarkable woman, and I was considering asking her how she felt about you before I was aware that you two were dating in secret. But then Tomoe offered me a deal that would boost both of our businesses. I didn’t want to tear you away from her, believe me, I didn’t. But it was a deal I simply couldn’t refuse.”

“Is that what you think of me? A pawn in your business deals?” Adrien scowled and got back up to finish his packing. 

“Son, I realize now that I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have pushed you into a loveless marriage. I shouldn’t have been so cold to you after your mother died. I shouldn’t have taken Mlle Dupain-Cheng away from you. Please forgive me, Adrien. I’ll help you with taking care of your daughter, providing for her expenses, giving you days off when she is sick, anything! I want to amend all my blunders and rebuild our relationship that's been tarnished for the last decade more than any stupid business deal.” 

“Father, as much as I would like to, it will take a lot more than an ‘I’m sorry’. You threatened to blacklist me!” 

“I know, Adrien, and I truly do wish that I never would’ve forced you into that marriage. For the rest of my life, son, I’m really going to try to become the father you always wanted. I was wrong to take your Emilie away from you. Let’s work together, and try to fix this little relationship of ours?” 

Adrien smiled, setting down the box and sitting back down onto the couch. Although he was still a little skeptical, he could sense the genuineness in the man’s voice. “Where do we start?” 


	2. Reacquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Adrien’s life look like five years after Marinette left him? And what happens when she comes back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t have a posting schedule, but this chapter was finished before the first chapter was posted. Thank you for all the love on the last chapter and I hope you enjoy it going forward!

“The prince and the princess rode off into the sunset and they lived happily ever after.” Adrien closed the large book of fairytales and set it down on his daughter’s nightstand. “The end.” 

“Can you read me another one, Daddy?” She asked, picking up the book once again and shoving it against his chest. The weight bombarding his chest made Adrien wince, but he shrugged it off. “Pretty please?”

“No, Emma,” He stated just stern enough to make her plop back onto her bed and stare up at the ceiling. “As much as I want to, I’ve already read you three tonight, and you should probably go to sleep.” 

“But I like the part when you pretend like you’re slaying a dragon!” She jumped up, growling and laughing as she pretended she was swinging a sword, just like how her father had done moments earlier. Adrien chuckled, noting how similar she was to him at her age. He, too, used to jump on the bed and make reenactments of his mother’s bedtime stories as a way of putting off going to sleep.

“You know,” Adrien started, retrieving the book from her hands and setting it on the shelf. “When I was younger, I used to swing a sword like that every day.”

Emma’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets as her jaw dropped to the floor. 

“Really? You got to slay dragons every single day?”

“No, not exactly. I didn’t slay dragons I fought against…” Kagami. She used to be his number one fencing partner back in their teenage years. Yet Adrien, albeit it being three years since she left, still had bad memories associated with that woman. He was glad she was out of his life, out of his daughter’s life. “…other teammates.” He finished, glossing over the fact that he had gone deep in thought for a solid minute, if not more. “And the weapon we used, it wasn’t exactly a sword. It’s called a saber and the sport, in general, is called fencing. I got to be quite good and even won the national competition.”

“That’s so cool! Can I try?” Emma looked up at him eagerly, now sitting back on her bed. “I want to do fencing just like you, Daddy!”

“You’ll have to be a little bit older before you can start, but I’m sure you can. For now, you, my little princess, must go to bed.” 

She crossed her arms and pouted. “Sleeping is so boring!”

“I know, darling. But maybe you could go on a cool adventure in your dreams. And when I’m done with work tomorrow, we can do something fun.” 

“Ok, Daddy. I’ll go to sleep now. But first,” she got up and hugged him as tight as she possibly could. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, Emma. You’re the greatest little girl in the world.”

“You’re the best Daddy in the world!” She released him, grabbed her Chat Noir plushie, and settled into bed. “How many people in the whole universe get to slay dragons every day and fight supervillains?” 

Adrien had to try hard to fight the dopey smile sneaking upon his lips. “Thank you, princess.”

“Good night Daddy,” She said as he tucked him in. He placed a kiss on her forehead and she scrunched up her nose at the contact.

“Good night, my Emma.” He turned on the nightlight, making sure none of her toys were scattered on the floor, and left her room. Shuffling back to his bedroom, he ran a mental list of his nightly chores in his head before remembering that he had to fold the clean laundry. 

After the divorce, Adrien and Emma had moved into a two-bedroom apartment that was nothing like the house he had with Kagami or Agreste Manor. While Gabriel had offered to hire an interior decorator to help furnish it, Adrien had insisted that he could take care of the entire place himself and kept true to his promise. While it was quite spacious, perfect for Emma to run around in, it was cozy and perfect for their small family. Adrien had decorated it with photos of family and friends, and even, Marinette, who still held his heart after all that time. She came home every year for Christmas, but never spoke to him, only hanging out with him through Alya and Nino. Every year, he would try to talk to her, try to apologize, but she would never listen. He kept the ring he proposed to her with that night, not having the heart to return it or let go of it. 

Regardless of his problems with Marinette, Adrien was perfectly happy with his life. He was no longer on bad terms with his father and Nathalie, had friends he could depend on, a stable job that promised him a propitious future, and his daughter; his whole world. What more did he need?

After laundry was done, Adrien checked to see if all the dishes were washed and groceries were put away and sat down with his laptop to answer some last emails before turning in for the night. That was a good choice, as there were a few marketing strategies he had to check over before forwarding them to his father. He specialized in the business portion of _Agreste Fashions_ , as it got rebranded shortly after Gabriel mended his relationship with his son. Even as a child, Adrien was more interested in numbers than he was in the actual fashion or modeling part, and excelled at math throughout his schooling. 

Unfortunately, just as Adrien was getting into his deep work zone, he was interrupted by the annoying kwami of destruction. “You know what time it is!” He yelled, putting on a talk-show-host esque voice. “Cheese time! Where’s my camembert?”

“The fridge, like it always is. You don’t have to bother me for it, just don’t eat too much, we’re on a budget and that cheese is expensive.”

“But Adriennnn! Cheese is my one true love! It pleases me whenever I nibble on it with utmost delight,” Plagg dramatized, acting in a way that would put a soap-opera star to shame.

“Number one, that sounds so wrong on so many levels. Number two, don’t get how you could eat that shit all day? It reeks.”

“As I said, I can’t live without it.”

Kicked out of his will to finish his work, Adrien groaned and shut his laptop, turning all the lights off around the apartment. He rubbed his eyes and went to bed, slipping into the duvet and laying his bed on his pillow. It was barely past eleven, but being a single father took a lot out of him. As soon as he was cozy, sleep finally greeted him with open arms–

“Daddy?”

Adrien sat up, startled by the meek voice coming from his open doorway. Turning the lamp on, he stared at his daughter, blonde hair disheveled. She sniffled, clutching onto two plushies–one Chat Noir and the other a unicorn–tightly. Had she been crying? The thought woke him up, worry filling him up as another tear slipped out of her eye. 

“Yes, princess?” He asked, urging himself to get out of the comfy bed.

“I had another nightmare. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Adrien ran over to her and scooped her up in his arms, rocking her slowly. He laid her down in bed and slumped next to her, tucking her in gently. “I used to have nightmares too, honey. What was it about?”

“You and Ladybug were up against an Akuma and the Akuma won! You were so hurt, and I was running over to you, you said that I should take care of myself and closed your eyes. I tried waking you up but you didn’t move.” 

Adrien gasped. Poor thing was already cursed with the nightmares that made him wake up in a cold sweat every night as a teenager. Either it was something happening to Marinette or Ladybug, and after they revealed their identities, both. He swaddled her in his arms, hugging her and tickling her and kissing her until her laughter replaced her tears. “Princess, I promise that I’ll always be by your side. Understand?”

“Yes, Daddy.” She yawned. “Can we go back to sleep now?”

“Of course, darling.”

After he turned the light off, they positioned themselves in the bed. She cuddled against him, her stuffed animal sandwiched between them, as Adrien softly patted her and hummed a lullaby. He used to put her to sleep the same way when she was a baby, and thinking about it made him realize how quickly time had gone by. Is this what parenting felt like? No matter what he’d gone through, he managed to push through and got his pride and joy as a reward. And now she was four, already starting to learn how to read and write. Emma’s peaceful snores filled the room, signaling Adrien that it was high time he went to sleep. He slowly adjusted his position and met his daughter in dreamland. 

***

“So, where’s Nino?” Adrien asked, looking through the cabinets in Alya and Nino’s kitchen for the snack she requested. 

“He’s picking up Marinette from the train station. You know she’s coming back for a month to help with the arrival of this little guy.” She patted her bulging stomach, letting out an annoyed groan. “I can already tell he’s gonna be trouble. He won’t leave me be! Thanks for getting me my chips, by the way.”

“No problem.” Adrien got the bag of salt and vinegar chips she requested and gave them to her. “I’m a little nervous though. Marinette’s not been home for this long in five years, and we’ve barely talked since I… you know…” His eyes darted to Emma, who was sitting at the dining table, invested in her own little world as she colored.

“Proposed to her as the final attempt of having her as yours like the lovesick fool you were?” She smirked, popping a few chips in her mouth. 

“I thought it was a romantic gesture at the time.” He rolled his eyes. “But I’m still afraid it’s going to be awkward.” 

“You’ll be fine, Adrien. I can feel it, you two are destined to be together.” She patted his back, offering a few chips from her bag. “Want some?”

“No thanks.”

***

“Man, I love that song!” Marinette fell back onto her seat, laughing like a child at her and Nino’s impromptu musical outburst. Even though she was twenty-seven years old, she liked that she could still be a teenager around her very best friends. “It feels so good to be back in Paris, Nino. I missed you.” 

“Everyone here’s missed you too. Alya’s been raving about your visit for the last two weeks,” Nino responded, turning the steering wheel right.

“Speaking of Alya, how’s the baby doing? Picked out a name for him yet?” 

“We have, but she’s been insisting that we keep it confidential until the baby’s actually born. He is due in around two weeks, so I won’t have to keep my lips shut for much longer.” 

“How’s everyone been? I talked to Maman and Papa last night before boarding the train, and they said that they’ve been doing well. How’s everyone else?” 

“Kitty section’s on tour, Chloé’s still in New York with her mom, and Adrien and Emma are doing just fine too. Emma learned how to climb the rock wall at the park, and she’s been begging to go there every day since then!”

Marinette could feel her cheeks flush at the sound of his name. “Has Adrien, you know, been going out recently? With other people? On d-dates?” Her voice went quiet and shy, almost as if she had been embarrassed to be asking. She was. It’d been five years since he proposed to her and she left for Milan! When she comes back around Christmas time every year she never talks to him. He could be engaged to someone she’s never met before and has no idea about for all she knew! But what if she had said yes? She pondered the question more times than she’d liked to admit, even if she was the one who made the decision to not push their secret relationship further.

“No, not really. The dude’s more invested in his work and Emma than anything else. If you really want to, you could try talking to him this time around–”

“No!” She yelled, louder than necessary. “I mean, I don’t really know. I don’t want to impose or anything…”

“Marinette, after me, you were his best friend back in lycée. I think you should at least smooth over your rough edges and communicate.” 

“Geez, Nino, you’re sounding like Alya!” Marinette joked, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject. “You’ve been spending way too much time around her, man!” 

“Well, she is my wife. Besides, the damn woman never leaves me alone except when I go to work.” He laughed and parked in front of the small house he and Alya owned, a four-bedroom one with a basement and backyard. They got out of the car, deciding to leave the suitcases in the trunk for the time being, and heading into the house where Alya, Adrien, and Emma were sitting. 

At the sound of the door hinges creaking, Marinette bolted into the room, enveloping her best friend into a bone-crushing hug. Trying her best to be careful and considerate of Alya’s bulging stomach, she tightened the embrace further. 

“I missed you so much, Alya,” Marinette grinned, marveling at how big her best friend’s stomach had gotten. “Wow, I really had to see it to believe it.” 

“I missed you too, girl. And yeah, I can’t wait for this little sucker to get outta there.”

“Daddy says sucker is a bad word!” Emma scolded, crossing her arms with the most adorable pout Marinette had ever seen. She truly was the daughter of Adrien Agreste, as she remembered that same pout on Adrien’s face from back when they were dating. “Hi! You’re Daddy’s friend, aren’t you!” 

“Emma, this your Auntie Marinette, don’t you remember?” Adrien picked her up, bringing her closer to their visitor. “You met her when she came home for Christmas.”

“Hey, Emma.” Marinette gave a small wave to both of them, which only Emma returned. “Yeah, I was– am your Dad’s friend.” 

“More like his special friend.” Nino raised his eyebrows, watching as both Marinette and Adrien scowled at him. “I’ve made everything awkward, haven’t I.”

All the adults nodded as Emma fussed to get out of her father’s arms. He let her down, going to help Nino grab snacks for everyone. They grabbed some tortilla chips and salsa, pouring them into a bowl.

“Quite the comment, Monsieur Lahiffe,” Adrien growled, his face a bright red. “Emma doesn’t know about my history with Marinette, and I doubt she’s gotten over it either. I don’t want my daughter to know, and I don’t want to make everything between Marinette and me ten times more awkward. The tension in the air is so thick you can practically taste it.” 

“But seriously, man! I don’t think you’ve moved on either. Aren’t you the one who still has the engagement ring tucked away in your nightstand drawer?” Nino chastised, pouring out red wine in three glasses, and apple juice for Emma and Alya. “It’s been five years, and during the drive over here, she asked about your dating life.” 

“If she’s so curious about my love life why does she keep ignoring my apologies?” Adrien rested his chin on the plan of his hand, his elbow rested against the countertop. “It’s not like she wants to get back together, she’s never texted me. Or called. She only waves ‘hi’ when we’re with you guys or when I see her at events for the company.”

“If you ask me, she wants to talk to you badly, but something or the other is weighing her down.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Nothing? Beats me. I briefly dated two girls before meeting my wife. I’m not really experienced in the love category.”

“Well, I’ve been dancing around the same girl since I was fourteen, dated her for two years before having to break up with her, then was trapped into a loveless marriage for a year and leaving the said marriage with a child. I think you have the better end of that bargain.” 

“Regardless, you’re twenty-eight years old. You know how much Alya and I’ve been suggesting that you can’t stay an eligible bachelor forever, and Emma will need a real mother figure at some point, and no, Alya won’t cut it for much longer. And I know for a fact,” he poked Adrien in the chest, “that Gabriel and Nathalie have said the same thing. Either you shoot your shot with Marinette or get over her. The choice is yours.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Adrien raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk, nudging his best friend in the ribs.

“Do you want it to be?” Nino responded, mirthfully laughing as he put the wine and juice away. 

“We’ll bet on it. I have to try to woo Marinette by the end of her trip, and if I don’t, I have to go on a date with a girl of your choice, and you get to make the date whatever crazy bullshit you want it to be.” 

“And if you do?”

“You owe me twenty bucks?” Adrien shrugged. “I don’t know, but you owe me something.”

“Deal.” They shook hands, a determined countenance on Adrien’s face as he gave his daughter her food and went to join the rest of his friends. They ate their snacks and wine and ate the dinner Nino and Adrien prepared a few hours afterward. In the corner of his eye, he could see Plagg and Tikki zipping to the other room together, and a smile came to Adrien’s face. At least the kwamis were still friends. Of course, they’d be, they had been for millennia. 

Throughout whatever crazy games they were playing, Adrien kept his gaze on Marinette and was aware of the goofy smile coming to his lips whenever she laughed. Even after five years, he was completely smitten. In his head, he formulated a plan to make Marinette fall for him once again, wondering if her preferences in flowers or jewelry had changed. _Damn,_ he realized. _I’ll need to do some research._

Their night ended around one am when all the nearly drunken adults–and Alya–were on the verge of collapsing. Deciding they’d stay at Alya and Nino’s for the night as they were in no condition to drive home, Adrien settled his daughter in the guest bedroom. 

“Adrien, you can go sleep with Emma. I’ll take the couch,” Marinette insisted.

“It’s no problem, really. You just had a long train ride back, you should have the bed,” Adrien countered.

“Honestly, the bed is big enough for all three of you!” Nino interrupted, irritated by their childish chivalry. He rubbed his temples, gesturing them all to the guest bedroom. “It’s a king-sized bed, and if you two can’t platonically share a bed for one night, I’ve lost all faith. Now, I’m going to bed. Good night, losers.” He walked into his bedroom, closing the door rather forcefully.

Adrien and Marinette obliged, both deciding to dress down first. Adrien was glad he always kept a spare pair of clothes–for both himself and Emma–at Alya and Nino’s house for this exact reason. He changed into his pajamas in the bathroom and came out to Marinette brushing her hair. His heart stopped in his chest, his breath hitching as she tied it back. When they were still dating, he’d often braid her hair for her before they’d go to bed, and it was the entire reason Adrien had any clue how to do Emma’s hair.

“If you want, I really could sleep on the couch downstairs. I honestly don’t mind,” He offered again, sitting down next to her.

“Nino’s right, Adrien. And I have such a bad headache from all the alcohol we consumed, and I’m sure you’re feeling the same way. We’ll both sleep better here.”

“Okay then.” As uncomfortable as this was for both of them, at least she wasn’t ignoring him anymore. That was definitely a win in his book, and he tried to take advantage of the situation. “Marinette, I really am sorry about what happened–” 

“Me too. Really. But could we possibly put that behind us? We had so much fun tonight because we weren’t really thinking about what happened. I think we should stop being each other’s ex, and we should be each other’s friends. What do you think?” 

Oh. This was definitely a win. “I would like that very much.”

“Perfect.” She set down the hairbrush, settling into the bed. He went in the middle, facing Emma, who was peacefully snoozing. Soon after, Marinette fell asleep as well and subconsciously fell into the position they were always in when they’d slept together in the past. Her hand laid across his stomach, hugging him tightly, her other hand supporting her head. Adrien smiled, tucking a strand of her thick hair behind her ear. 

Maybe getting Marinette back wouldn’t be as hard as he previously thought.


	3. Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette are friends again after five years of awkward silence. Adrien gets ready to put the first phase of his plan to woo her into action, but things don’t always go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I just wanted to clarify a few things timeline-wise. (Keep in mind that Adrien is a few months older than Marinette)   
> 14-canon: Adrien has a crush on ladybug and Marinette has a crush on Marinette   
> 16-reverse crush   
> 17-identity reveal  
> 17/18-high school graduation   
> 20/21-Adrien and Marinette start secret dating and Hawkmoth becomes inactive   
> 22/23-they break up. Marinette moves to Milan.  
> 24-Adrien marries Kagami and has Emma   
> 25-Kagami leaves   
> 27/28-time of current events

As Adrien showered after a meticulous workout a few days later, he felt like he was back as his sixteen-year-old self trying to think of ways to tell Ladybug his true feelings. He would practice his puns and cheesy pickup lines in the mirror, trying to figure out how to get her to finally get her to go out on at least one date with her. Today’s goal, however, was some good old fashioned research.

He wanted to know everything about her, and see how much had changed in the last five years. Was her favorite flower still a rose, preferably of the pink, white, or red variety? Was her favorite color still pink? Did she still bake in her free time? Did she still play Ultimate Mecha Strike? Questions floated around in his head as he opened all the curtains around the house, letting in the six-thirty am sun illuminate the apartment. He hummed a silly tune to himself, greeting Emma with her usual good morning kiss when she came out of her room fifteen minutes later. 

It was great that she was an early riser like he was. 

“Morning, Daddy!” She attacked him with a hug, her unruly blonde hair sticking up in thirty different directions. 

“Good morning, princess. Sleep well?” 

“Yeah! I had this really cool dream that I was riding on a unicorn on top of a rainbow and then there was a car made entirely of cotton candy! I rode on it with Albert–that’s the unicorn’s name–and it was so much fun! I wish I could do that in real life!” 

Adrien laughed, pulling out the toaster for their breakfast as Emma followed him around in the kitchen. She went on and on about her dream as Adrien cooked, making sure to cut the crusts off for Emma’s toast. When he was finally able to get her to go to her room to brush her teeth and make her bed, he put the scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and toast onto two plates–one for him and one for Emma. He got some camembert out for Plagg, who, surprisingly, wasn’t awake just yet. Normally, he’d be up by six-fifty at the latest to demand his morning dosage of cheese, and the kwami didn’t fail to be right on time. Plagg’s winning ended once he was presented with the plate of cheese, and he gobbled it up faster than one could say camembert. 

They all ate their breakfast before Adrien helped Emma get ready for the day, changing her into a lavender tutu that she requested and a striped t-shirt that she picked out as well. He fixed her hair into two pigtails, and made sure he had everything for work. Adrien strapped her into her car seat and drove her to her daycare. 

Throughout the workday, Adrien couldn’t stop thinking about Marinette, wondering what his first plan would be to try to get her to fall for him again. When it was his break, however, he took matters into his own hands. 

“Plagg. Claws out,” he whispered in the confinements of his office, escaping the building through the window and inconspicuously making it to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, where Marinette said she’d be for the day. She was in her bedroom unpacking, a bit of flour on her forehead he presumed was from helping her parents out in the bakery. His eyes shifted from her to her desk, where a gleam caught his attention. There, sitting on the white wooden table, was a necklace with a golden chain and ruby and black diamond ladybug pendant.

The necklace he’d given her on their first anniversary. 

She’d still kept it. His heart swelled at the gesture, wondering whether she’d unintentionally kept it or if she’d kept it for the sole fact that he’d given it to her. 

_ So she still likes baking and jewelry,  _ He guessed, knocking on the trap door. She scowled, knowing it was him in his civilian form, before opening the hatch. 

“Has Hawkmoth attacked?” She asked as soon as saw his cat persona, purely out of habit. He rarely transformed anymore, considering his hectic schedule and Hawkmoth’s inactivity for about five or so years. She fiddled with the ends of her hair, a nervous tic of hers, as she awaited his response. He shook his head, causing her to calm down slightly. 

“Adrien Agreste, I don’t care what you’re trying to do, I just can’t talk right now,” She shoved him away, crossing her arms and tapping her foot against the wooden planks of the balcony. 

“It’s not Hawkmoth, and I know you’re probably going to put up with this proposal,” he cringed at the poor choice of words, and saw that Marinette had flinched as well. Regardless he continued. “but you and I are going to lunch like the civilized, friendly adults we are.” 

“Adrien, I’m busy!” 

“Marinette, you haven’t talked to me in five years. Now that we’re friends again, I am going to use it to my advantage and take you out to lunch so we can catch up.” 

She let out a defeated groan, throwing her hands up like she was getting caught for a crime. “Fine. Just next time, maybe think to text me instead of showing up on my balcony announced.” 

“That’s reasonable. Let’s go!” 

To avoid the press constantly on his tail, Adrien put on sunglasses and a light jacket over his work clothes. Reporters for gossip magazines were ecstatic when news of Kagami and Adrien’s divorce was publicly announced, and ever since they’d followed him every time he was seen with another girl when facing the populace, even Alya. Rumors and headlines would immediately come out following, but it was nothing Adrien wasn’t used to. Just to be safe, however, he still did something or the other to shield himself when out and about. 

Marinette and Adrien walked to the nearby restaurant, hands awkwardly brushing against each other as they dodged other pedestrians. They made small talk prior to long periods of silence, which even continued as they sat down and got themselves situated. They sat in the back of the restaurant and silently looked through the menus. 

Adrien thoughts continued to linger on the fact that she still had the gift he had given her so long ago, six years to be exact. Why did she keep it? Hadn’t she hated him after she moved to Milan? Trying to think about literally anything else, he watched as a waiter came and set down their starter breadsticks. He felt nervous sweat collect at the nape of his neck. This definitely wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be.

“So, how’s life in Milan?” He asked shortly after they ordered, dipping one of the breadsticks the waiter had brought back in the marinara sauce. 

“It’s great, but never as good as Paris, of course. There were times I desired to just drop everything and come back home, you know?” 

“Yeah, I understand.” 

“What about you? How’s being a dad?” 

“It’s great! But, hard. Stressful, really. Everything concerning myself and Emma is falling on my shoulders. Father has suggested I get Emma a nanny. Alya and Nino advised that I start dating again and potentially find Emma a mother.” He saw her wince when he mentioned dating again but ignored it. 

“They’re all right. If you think you need extra help, you should definitely take it.”

“All three have already been helping me a lot, and I don’t really want to get more help. I don’t want Emma to think I don’t care for her, or be an absent parent. It was the worst growing up, and I don’t want her to endure that. She needs another parental figure, I know, but I haven’t really thought much about my love life since the divorce. After all, the girl I was in love with was in another country.” Oh no. He’d said a bit too much. Her eyes went wide and she immediately drew her attention to her glass of water. 

“I’m sorry, Marinette! I really shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, no. It’s all right. It was our past, and we shouldn’t hesitate in bringing it up. I just feel bad it ended terribly.” 

“Me too. I’m glad we can still be friends.” 

She smiled. “Me too.” 

They talked for the rest of Adrien’s break while eating their food, reminiscing on the past, chatting about the present, and sharing their hopes for the future. Adrien collected enough information about her, finding out that she still did, in fact, play Mecha strike, bake, and collect vintage clothes and jewelry. And, to top it all off, she did still hate his puns. Adrien never realized how much he missed her laugh, her smile, the way she got fussy when he stole a bite of her pasta just to tease her. But he was happiest that he was able to fall back into his old rhythm with her, only without the chaste kisses they would exchange and the constant flirting. 

However, ten minutes before Adrien had to return to work, his phone chimed. Then again. Then again. He checked it to see messages upon messages from Nino. Adrien’s brows furrowed as he opened the texts, then all the color was drained from his face. 

“What happened, Adrien?” She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“We need to pick up Emma and go to the hospital right now. Alya just went into labor.” 

*** 

Nino meandered across the waiting room, waiting for his friends to arrive. He checked his phone again, watching as messages in the family group chat exploded with notices that both his and Alya’s families would be there soon or on the next flight back to Paris. He sighed, his pace quickening as it finally hit him that his son would finally come into the Earth. 

The doors opened and Adrien, Marinette, and Emma came rushing in. Adrien enveloped his best friend in a hug, patting his back reassuringly. 

“Don’t worry, man!” He said, taking Emma in his arms. “Fatherhood is a great experience, and you’re going to do great!” 

“Yeah!” Emma chimed in. “You’re, like, my second Daddy, Uncle Nino!” 

Nino patted her on the head, making her giggle. “Thank you, sweetheart, but Alya’s in there getting ready for them to start the dilation and it’s all starting to feel so real.” 

“You’re really good at taking care of Emma,” Adrien reassured. 

“And you’re really supportive and loyal,” Marinette put a hand on Nino’s shoulder.

“Monsieur Lahiffe,” A nurse said as she came out of the delivery room Alya was in. “We’re ready to begin. Madame Césaire has requested your presence.” 

Nino sighed, his sweat-drenched hands messing with his jeans. “I guess I gotta go now.” 

“Go!” Marinette pushed him into the room, giving him an encouraging nod. Nino disappeared into the room, shutting the door behind him. 

They sat in the waiting room, Emma talking to Marinette, and Marinette responding, sounding genuinely invested in the conversation. It was silly questions like what was her favorite food, favorite singer, favorite Disney Princess et Cetra. Although it seemed meaningless, Adrien paid attention to Marinette’s responses, trying to find valuable information where he could. He found out that she was still the same incredible girl that he had fallen in love with and continued to pine after. In fact, he seemed to be falling more as she talked to his daughter. 

“Emma,” he interjected with a proud grin on his face. His daughter turned to him, tilted her head adorably. “You did use to ask me who Ladybug was…” He saw Marinette flush a bright shade of red at the mention. 

“Yeah. And you never told me. Who is she?” Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. He pointed to Marinette, who was twiddling with the tips of her hair. Emma gasped, excitedly squealing as she fell into the woman’s arms. “You’re Ladybug?” 

“Not so loud, but yeah. I am,” Marinette confirmed, hugging Emma back. “And your Daddy was a great Chat Noir.” Marinette looked up at Adrien, who was giving her a kind smile. He felt his heart flutter in his chest, watching as Emma started enthusiastically rambling about how much she loved Ladybug and Chat Noir and watched all the videos on the Ladyblog regularly. 

They stayed in the hospital for four and a half hours, comforting Nino when he got frightened or anxious, checking with Alya over calls since they weren’t allowed in the room, and supplying food and water to the couple when needed. When Emma started getting particularly antsy and cranky, they decided it was time they went back home and would come back at the news that Alya was about to give birth. 

They piled back into Adrien’s black Mercedes, Marinette getting situated in the front seat and Adrien buckling Emma into her car seat in the back. Despite having a four-year-old daughter, he still managed to keep the car fairly neat and tidy, which was something he took a lot of pride in. He slipped into the driver’s seat, putting the car in gear before his phone started beeping fervently. Adrien groaned as he picked it up. 

“Oh no,” he said upon reading the messages. 

“What happened, Adrien?” Marinette asked, noting his tense countenance.

“Since we were at the hospital, I had to blow off the rest of my meetings. Father obliged, saying that I could skip them, but, apparently, there’s an emergency one that I must attend in twenty minutes. The problem is that Emma’s daycare is closed by now, Nino and Alya aren’t available, and Father is heading the meeting. I can’t take her with me, those conferences usually last an hour at the least. What am I supposed to do?” He buried his face in his hands, annoyed and irritated by the circumstances. 

“What if I take care of her? I can take her back to the bakery with me, I’m sure she’ll like Maman and Papa and I’m positive they’ll like her too. I think Emma will have a little fun.” 

Adrien hugged Marinette tightly. “Thank you, you lifesaver.” 

Marinette giggled, petting his head lovingly and rolling her eyes. “No problem. I am Ladybug, after all.” 

Adrien drove them back to Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie Patisserie, which immediately radiated the feeling of home and warmth. Back when they were teenagers and later, when they were dating, he and Mairnette would spend quite a bit of time there. Tom and Sabine had never failed to treat him like a son and gushed over Emma like she was their own grandchild.

“Adrien, dear!” Sabine hugged him when he, Marinette, and Emma walked in. “You look so handsome! It’s been quite some time!” She smiled, wrinkles forming around her eyes and streaks of gray in her hair. 

“I agree. I really should start to come by more often.”

“Adrien, son, is this your daughter?” Tom asked, introducing himself to the four-year-old.“ 

“Hi! I’m Emma!” She waved. 

“Yeah,” Adrien confirmed. “She’s my daughter.”

“Adrien had an emergency meeting and I offered to look after her as he couldn’t find a babysitter on such short notice. He’ll be back in a few hours,” Marinette explained. 

“It is a board meeting, so I will be back around seven-thirty. It shouldn’t stretch longer than that.”

“If you are done by then, you and Emma simply must stay for dinner!” Sabine proposed, watching Tom play with Emma. Normally, the four-year-old didn’t get comfortable with new people that easily, but something about Tom and Sabine clicked in her mind. “It really has been very long since I’ve seen you.” 

“That would be fantastic! It’s been a while since I’ve had a world-famous Tom and Sabine meal!” 

“It’s settled, then,” Tom agreed. “Go to your meeting, then come back for dinner. We have it all covered, son.” 

“Thank you again, everyone.” Adrien hugged Marinette then Sabine again said bye to Emma, and left for his meeting. 

***

Adrien and Marinette stood on her balcony after an eventful dinner of laughs and catching up after so long. He truly had missed Tom and Sabine as he had stopped visiting the bakery after his breakup with Marinette out of the sadness he would feel by merely driving by the building. Now, five years after Marinette had originally left for Milan, five years after she’d rejected his desperate proposal, he’d been able to mend their relationship once again. Really, they were all acting as no time had passed at all, and Emma only contributed to the happy mood. 

The cool breeze flowed through Marinette’s dark hair which almost camouflaged with the night sky. She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as they stared out at the Parisian skyline. 

“Marinette?” Adrien started. He’d collected enough information throughout the day and was putting phase one of his plan to get Marinette to fall for him again in action. Knowing she was still fond of roses, he’d picked up a bouquet of yellow ones for her at a florist that was, surprisingly, still open. He held out the bunch of flowers, staring straight into her twinkling eyes. The stars were reflecting in her bluebell eyes, stray hairs falling onto her face as her gaze simultaneously shifted from his face to the flowers. “I know we’re just supposed to be just friends, but I saw that a florist was having a sale on roses and they immediately reminded me of you.”

“Adrien, this is really sweet.” She smiled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “I had fun with you today. Made me realize how much I missed having you in my life.” 

“Ditto.” 

“You know, I adore Emma. She was really fun to have around. Papa and Maman were just constantly gushing over her the entire time. I think they may want to have her around more often now onwards.” 

“I missed your parents too. There were several times I just wanted to pop in and say hi, but I finally didn’t out of courtesy because you and I… we weren’t on the best of terms. We’re good now, and, now that I’ve got the taste of Sabine’s incredible cooking in my system, I don’t think I can stay away for much longer.” He chuckled, still tasting the remnants of the glorious steamed vermicelli rolls they’d eaten. “But you’re really good with Emma. Like, shockingly good.” 

“No duh, I used to babysit Manon, remember? But, I don’t know, something about her feels different than any kid I’ve ever taken care of. She just carries this energy, one that makes me feel inexplicably happy. Like how you do, Adrien.” 

Adrien felt heart rate quicken as he flashed a warm smile. “I’m glad you like her. Here I was thinking that you wouldn’t like her because she was, in a way, a product of your heartbreak–” 

“Adrien Agreste, I had no control over what you and Kagami did while you two were married, but I am one-hundred percent sure that you two were pressured into producing into a child. I don’t see her as Kagami’s child because she left you. You stuck around for that little girl and made her the loveable sunshine child she is.” 

If it were possible, Adrien seemed to fall harder for her. That gleam in her eye that came out as she was defending Emma was one he only saw when Marinette was truly passionate about something. He felt the heat rise on his cheeks and thanked the gods that it was nighttime and she couldn’t see how red he believed they’d gotten. “That was nice of you.” 

“Emma deserves it.” Marinette hugged him tightly. “And so do you. I’m sorry I was ignoring you all these years.” 

Adrien chanted the words over and over in his head.  _ I love her, I love her, I love her.  _

***

Asher Lahiffe-Césaire was born at one in the mid-August morning. Both Alya and Nino were exhausted, yet jolted awake out of the adrenaline coursing through their veins and the pure joy that flowed through them. When receiving the call, Adrien had lazily picked Emma out of her bed, not bothering to wake her, as he drove to the hospital. Marinette, Tom, and Sabine were already there, congratulating Alya and Nino on a job well done. Alya’s sisters Ella, Etta, and Nora were there as well, crowding the small hospital room. 

“So.” Adrien poked Nino in the ribs. “How was it?” 

“Scary,” Nino replied, rubbing his eyes as he rocked his newborn son in his arms. “I never want to do that again.” 

“What? You don’t think that Asher should have a sibling?” 

“Nope! No way! You were an only child and you turned out fine.”

“By fine you mean I was in need of desperate therapy and could only express myself through being a magical crime-fighting Cat-boy?” Adrien snickered, hoisting a sound asleep Emma up in his arms. 

“Damn, that’s dark. But still, regardless of you having severe mental issues and venting through being Chat Noir, that was your father’s fault. So, I believe that Asher will be completely fine as an only child. How’s the bet going, by the way?”

“I spent the entire day with Marinette if that’s what you’re asking. She didn’t really seem to be mad at me and didn’t reject the roses I got her. I say I’m making progress.” 

“Good, because Marinette has already been here five days and is only here for another month.” 

“Please. That’s more than enough time. I’ve already won her over as my friend, collected all the research I needed to, and set up a strategic plan that has a high chance of success.”

“Dude,” Nino laughed, although the hint of fatigue diluting his voice was too prominent to ignore. “she isn’t one of your marketing strategies. It’s not that simple. You have to play with matters of the heart, not the mind.” 

“Believe me, I know. But this is exactly what I did last time and that worked, didn’t it?” 

“I guess so.”

Adrien triumphantly chuckled but stayed quiet enough so he wouldn’t wake Emma. She stirred in his arms, softly groaning before settling down again.

“You’ve always been a cocky one, haven't you,” Nino remarked. 

“Nino, my friend, science has never failed me in the past. Let's hope chemistry is no different.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instagram: sidereus_illustrations


	4. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien, wanting to put the next phase of his plan into action, decides to invite Marinette to a movie night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad everyone’s been enjoying the story so far, and we are no reaching the self-indulgence chapter I couldn’t help but include. Sorry not sorry! Also enjoy the fluff while it lasts... 
> 
> >=D

It was raining. 

Rain, in the media, often symbolized sadness, depression, or heartbreak. Adrien, while aware of the bad luck rain seemed to bring–and the fact that he had a literal black cat/god of destruction sitting on his shoulder–,had high hopes. He knew for a fact that every monumental occasion between him and Marinette happened on a rainy day. The day she had fallen in love with him was in the rain, at the steps of their collège, right at the clap of thunder. Their identities had been revealed to one another, again, amid a downpour. Adrien had confessed his love to her right as lightning struck in the cloudy sky, and they started dating mere seconds after. 

The rain was a symbol of luck for the two of them. 

And Adrien wished upon all his lucky stars that it wouldn’t do him wrong. 

He gripped his daughter’s hand tightly as they walked underneath the shelter of the umbrella, trying their hardest to get to the car from the grocery store entrance without getting themselves, or their shopping bags, too wet. They were off buying their weekly supply of food and were gripping onto the cloth shopping bags tightly as they jogged. But while they were putting their baggage back into the trunk of Adrien’s car, neither had expected to see Marinette, underneath an umbrella of her own. 

“Adrien, hi!” She waved at him, holding her bag of groceries. “I didn’t gather I’d see you here today.” 

He smiled at her, making sure Emma was safely buckled into her car seat. “Emma and I eat a little too much on a daily basis. We were running out of our favorite snacks and had to restock. Thus, a fun shopping trip!” He flailed his arms dramatically, making Marinette giggle. 

“It’s really weird seeing you, you know, being a dad. Last I knew you, you were a suave, handsome young man with a little more than healthy pun addiction.” 

“Five years later, I’m still just as attractive and quite the debonaire. I’m still on Paris’s list of most eligible bachelors, I’ll have you know.” Adrien internally groaned. What was he thinking? Debonaire? Who still uses that word?

“Daddy and I sit and have pun-contests!” Emma piped up, poking her head out of the car and underneath the umbrella. Smugly, she added, “He always wins, though.” 

“And, true to my teenage self, I still love Disney movies.” Adrien transitioned. “We’re watching a few tonight, and you can join us if you want to.” 

“Yes! Yes! I want Auntie Marinette to come! It’s so so so much fun!” 

“I would love to, but… I don’t want to impose or anything, you two have your own little flow, and I can’t disrupt that,” Marinette politely explained. 

“Nonsense. It’ll be quite enjoyable, and we’ve often had guests to our movie nights. Alya and Nino came a few times, so did Father and Nathalie. Even Chloé came when she was still in town. It’s often a much more amusing night when it’s not just the two of us, although it is still a great time overall.” Adrien smiled. “If you don’t want to, that’s just fine. But my offer still stands.” 

“I can come,” Marinette agreed. “I’ve been helping Alya and Nino with baby Asher all day; this is actually their grocery run I offered to finish for them.” She held up the two bags. “It sounds like a fun time, and I love hanging out with you two.” 

“Great! We’ll start around seven-thirty, and you don’t need to bring anything. Snacks are all on me.” 

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you tonight, Adrien. Bye, you guys.” 

“Bye, Auntie Marinette!” 

“See you in a few hours.” Adrien waved and got into the car after she disappeared from his sight. He shook the umbrella to get rid of the water, then wrapped it up. The smile never vanished from his face as he drove home, put the groceries away–with Emma’s help, of course–, and finished up some work tasks. He invited Marinette to one of the locally famous Agreste movie nights, a highly-esteemed celebration of top-notch films, delicious junk food, and constant laughter. They could throw in some video games and karaoke in there too, considering Marinette still enjoyed both those pastimes. Lucky for her, both he and Emma were quite fond of them too.

Everything was shaping up as he wanted. He was able to get her to forgive him and start over as friends, he had successfully hung out with her several times throughout the week she had been back in town so far, whether that was dinner with her family or helping Alya and Nino out with their new son. Now, he had a golden opportunity to drop in some flirting, subtle hints at his lingering feelings for her. He hoped his Chat Noir instincts would come into play, despite it being a good amount of years since the last time he had frivolled his lady. Regardless, he sighed contently, closing his laptop and checking on Emma, who was playing with her action figures that were embarking on the midst of an epic battle of the ages. 

“Ready to start making the snacks?” He asked. “It’s six o'clock.” 

She nodded, setting down her toys and skipping to the kitchen without bothering to wait up for him. Emma immediately began climbing her way onto the island so she could sit with her father as they cooked. Adrien smiled. It was already shaping up to be an excellent night. 

So far, the rain had lived up to its reputation. 

***

Marinette arrived at seven-thirty sharp as promised, picking up Emma and hugging her tightly after the four-year-old answered the door. She set her purse on the counter when she walked into the kitchen, greeting Adrien as he was chopping up an onion and a tomato for the guacamole to dip the tortilla chips in. 

“Hey,” she sat down on one of the stools. “What’s on the menu tonight, Monsieur Five-Star chef?”

He laughed, putting all the diced onions and tomatoes into the big bowl of guacamole. Using his announcer's voice, he declared, “On this fine, rainy evening, I am more than happy to serve you, two lovely ladies, some…” he pulled out a tray of french fries, as well as a bowl of chips. “…really unhealthy foods that my ex-dietician would most definitely gag at. I’m so glad I don’t model anymore.” Everyone laughed, except Emma, who was stumped as to what a dietician was. “And Tikki, you can come out, you know. Em knows Marinette is Ladybug.” 

At the sound, the red kwami zipped out of Marinette’s purse. She flew around and finally perched on the table, watching as Emma giggled at her appearance. “Hi! I’m Tikki!” 

“My name is Emelie, but everyone calls me Emma. Nice to meet you. Do you know Plagg? You’re small, like him.” 

“Oh yes,” Tikki responded. “Plagg and I are very best friends.” 

“Did someone say my name?” Plagg groaned, flying out of Adrien’s bedroom. His grouchy countenance quickly changed to an elated one at the sight of the kwami of creation. “Tikki!” 

“Hey, you stinky sock. I hope you haven’t been driving this poor, sweet girl too crazy.” 

“Ha! No way, Emma and I adore each other.”

“Oh really? Well,” she turned back to the humans present in the room, “Plagg and I do have a lot to catch up on. You don’t mind if we go into the other room, do you? We don’t want to disrupt your movie night.” 

“You’re more than welcome to,” Adrien responded, as he and Marinette began to bring all the snacks to the coffee table. “And you can join us later if you want.” 

“Thanks, kid,” Plagg called as he and Tikki zoomed away into the bedroom. “But I want to have my sugar cube all to myself tonight.”

Marinette, Adrien, and Emma brought all their belongings to the couch, but before the movie started and they were all settled down, Marinette stood back up again. “Sorry. I know we have more than enough snacks, but…” she sheepishly fiddled with the end of her t-shirt. “...have you ever baked a cake before, Emma?” 

The little girl shook her head, her hazel eyes darting to her father’s. “I don’t think so.” 

“Marinette,” Adrien chimed in, a warm smile on his face. “I think we have all the ingredients for a cake, but really? All our food’s gonna get cold by the time it's in the oven.” 

“Come on, Chaton!” Marinette held him by both hands and pulled him up, and did the same with Emma. “Poor Emma’s never experienced baking a cake before!” 

“Please, Daddy?” Adrien looked at his daughter, who was sporting a pair of puppy dog eyes and her lip quivering, an expression that only came out when she wanted a new toy. He rolled his eyes, suddenly craving Marinette’s delicious chocolate cake he hadn’t tasted in so long. 

“Fine. But only if it’s chocolate cake.” 

That was how they were back in the kitchen, Emma in charge of wishing all the dry ingredients together, while Marinette prepared the wet ingredients. Adrien hovered over his daughter’s shoulder, ensuring that none of the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda mixture found its way on the floor. When her arm got tired, however, he took over the role. The three of them had much fun while readying the cake batter, both Adrien and Marinette acting as they did when they were still dating and used to bake cookies together regularly. Adrien through in a few of his Chat Noir-esque advances, with a few ‘my lady’s and princely gestures. He observed her cheeks flush at his obvious attempt at flirting, knowing full well he had flirted with her almost the same way he had before they were in a romantic relationship. 

“Look, Daddy!” Emma squealed. “I’m a master chef!” She stirred the ingredients together vigorously with an unwavering grin dancing across her lips.

“You’re doing amazing, Princess! But you do seem to have more chocolate on your face than there is in the bowl. ” he answered, grabbing a paper towel, wetting it, and wiping her stained face. She scrunched up her nose at the touch. 

“I didn’t eat all the cake, Daddy! I promise!” She showed him the bowl. “See?” 

“I was joking, but go wash your face. You got it all over your mouth.” He ruffled her hair as she jumped off the counter and raced to the bathroom.

“You’re really great with her, you know,” Marinette took the bowl, pouring chocolate chips into the batter then pouring it into the prepared cake tin. “Best dad ever imaginable.” 

Adrien beamed, putting all the dirty dishes in the sink. “Thanks. When you had a shitty family life growing up, you make a vow to yourself to never let your child feel the same way. I’m glad Father and I are making up and all, but you were there, you know how much it sucked. I, as long as I live, want to make sure Emma has the happiest and most accepting home life possible.” 

“That’s really sweet of you. I wish I could be half the parent you're being to Emma. Well, when I have a kid of my own. I’m twenty-seven years old and I don’t even have a boyfriend, much less a child and a husband.” 

“Did you date anyone? After me?” He sheepishly asked, watching as she put the tray in the preheated oven. 

“Yeah. One guy. I thought he was great at first, but he was a real asshole. We dated for two years and he proposed to me a little after I started noticing the red flags. I turned him down, obviously.”

“That sucks.” 

“What about you?” 

“A few odd dates Nino and Alya set up. No serious relationships, though.”  _ Maybe it’s because I couldn’t get over you and wanted to race to Milan just to scoop you up in my arms and yell out that I still love you, and not act like a hesitant idiot.  _

“That's… cool.” She looked up, and they finally noticed how close they were standing to each other. A wide brush dusted over Marinette’s freckles, but she couldn’t move like she was frozen in place. Adrien’s mind was screaming at him, urging him to confess his love and get the awkward moments like these over with. He opened his mouth but squeaked softly instead of uttering legible words, feeling sweat collect at the nape of his neck and heat rising to his cheeks as well. 

No. He would do it. Everything was working out in his favor and he could be seconds away from winning the bet. Or striking out terribly and losing the fragile friendship he had redeveloped with her, but he ignored that part, not wanting to spoil the mood. He took a calming breath, accumulating the thoughts swirling around in his head. “Marinette… I–” 

“Daddy! I cleaned my face, see?” 

Adrien tried his hardest to stifle his groan as he and Marinette jumped away from each other. Emma stood in the entryway to the kitchen, smiling widely to show her clean face. 

“That’s great, sweetheart,” he died a little inside. He was so, so close to letting Marinette know how he felt. Why did his dear, sweet daughter have to come at the absolute worst time?

“Where did the cake go?” 

“It’s baking in the oven,” Mairnette answered, taking off the mitt and setting it in the cabinet she found it in. 

“Can we watch the movie now?”

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other then back at Emma. “Yeah sure. Definitely,” he rambled, hoping that the distraction of an amazing Disney movie would be the cure to the awkwardness plaguing the air. 

The three settled back on the L-shaped sofa, Emma and Marinette cracking jokes with each other to ease the tension building. Emma snuggled into her light blue fluffy blanket, grabbing the bowl of her favorite chips and resting it on her lap. Marinette and Adrien sat next to each other, and he was unable to look at each other in the eye after what had just happened. Marinette, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had occurred. 

“You know, Auntie Mari, Daddy’s great at jokes too,” Emma informed.

Marinette’s gaze shifted to Adrien, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. “Oh really? Last I knew, his quips weren’t exactly paw-some.” 

Adrien gasped, dramatically bringing a hand to his forehead. “You wound me, m’lady. I’ll never survive! I’m done for!” He flopped back onto the couch cushions, slyly grinning at her. “But you did pun.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes as Emma doubled over in laughter. 

***

Emma had fallen asleep around ten after they’d finished a movie and a half. Adrien and Marinette had noticed when the little girl snored absurdly loudly, and he had immediately put the little on to bed after cleaning the frosting from the cake off her face. Marinette was getting ready to go, but Adrien insisted against it, claiming that it was too late for her to go home by herself. 

“It’s still raining, and it’s way too late at night. You can’t possibly think that’s proper weather for you to drive home by yourself,” he appealed, picking up some of the plates of food to set them back in the kitchen. 

She picked up a plate herself to help him. “I didn’t drive here, I took a cab. I can just go home as Ladybug.” 

“No way, that is not safe. I’ll drive you home.” 

“What about Emma?” 

“The bakery is only a few minutes away from here. She’ll be fine. In any scenario, I’ll be home in less than fifteen minutes.” 

Marinette looked down, contemplating all her options. “Okay,” she whispered. “You can drive me home.” 

“All right.” She got Tikki from Adrien’s bedroom after cooing at how Tikki and Plagg had fallen asleep together. 

They went down and got into Adrien’s car, most of his attention engrossed on the road, which had accumulated several inches of rain from how it had poured almost non-stop all day. He had, however, noticed that Marinette had subconsciously rested a hand on his knee. 

“I had fun tonight,” Marinette broke the silence. “Thank you for inviting me.” 

“My pleasure,” he responded, still not looking at her. “It was definitely a lot more fun with you. It was a great idea to bake a cake, even if Emma did eat a big slice and get sugar-high all throughout the first movie.” 

“She did finally have that sugar-crash, right?” 

Adrien chuckled. “Yeah. She did.” He stopped the car right in front of the door to the bakery. He was saddened that their time together had ended so quickly, but happy that it had happened in the first place. Thunder clapped behind them as Marinette grabbed her purse. 

“Good night, Adrien.” 

“Good night, Marinette.” 

Thunder boomed again as they leaned closer to each other, staring right into each other’s eyes as if they were under some sort of trance, some spell that they couldn't comprehend. Adrien found himself being pulled towards Marinette like he was a paperclip and she was a magnet with its inevitable force. He could practically smell the chocolate from the cake they ate on her, feeling the moisture in his palms worsen, and before he knew it, his lips were brushing against hers. She reached to grab his upper arm, crashing her lips against his until–

_ HONK! _

They jumped apart, startled from the loud noise and shocked that they were about to do what they were about to do. Adrien looked down, noticing that his elbow was resting on the steering wheel and was, therefore, the cause of the defeating sound that utterly ruined their moment. He mentally screamed at himself. How could be so stupid as to tarnish the chance he had to confess his feelings to Marinette? They’d had no shortage of ruined moments scattered throughout the night, but this was the cherry on top. He was seconds away from kissing the love of his life! And after a few moments of feeling his lips against hers, he wanted to kiss her more than ever before. 

“I… I should go. Good night, Adrien. Thanks for the ride.” 

“No problem.”

She hurriedly got out of the car, dashing into the bakery before she could get too wet from the pouring rain. Once she was out of his sight, Adrien banged his head against the dashboard in frustration and embarrassment, and could virtually hear Plagg’s teasing. Nevertheless, Adrien tried to comfort himself and relieve himself of the blush burning his cheeks. She was only here for a week, and she had a month left of her trip. That was more than enough time to confess his feelings. 

Right?


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right before Marinette is due to go back to Milan, Adrien decides to do a last resort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry   
> ⚠️Cursing

It had been one month. One full month of Adrien trying his hardest to weasel his way into Marinette’s heart. He didn’t know whether or not he’d made any progress, considering he’d failed to actually ask her out or confess his feelings, but he’d spent an awful lot of time with her, and they’d quickly fallen back into their old rhythm. He chose to disregard the almost-kiss that had occurred when he was dropping her at her house after she’d come to his apartment for a movie night because that was an embarrassing moment he didn’t take pride in mentioning. 

On the brighter side, several steps of his over-convoluted plan (According to literally anyone else it was inordinately complex, but he thought it was just fine) were already completed. Phase one, collecting research, was a massive success; phase two, spending more time with her, was incredibly easy as they were always at Alya and Nino’s (it certainly didn’t hurt that they had a newborn and were in need of a lot of assistance) or hanging out together; and finally, phase three, flirting, was risky at times, but he had his Chat Noir charm to back him up. He had decided to put the last step of his master plan in motion a few days hitherto her flight back to Milan. 

Adrien paced in his office, partially because he was trying to get his juices flowing, but mostly since he had barely any time left to live up to his end of the bet. Sure, he had several emails to answer, a meeting to oversee, and a one-on-one conference with his father, but he knew he would handle all that work easily. At the moment, it was a Friday afternoon, and Marinette would be leaving Paris the following Sunday afternoon. If he wanted to make a move, it had to be by Saturday afternoon at the latest. He knew that a long-distance relationship would be a struggle, moreso when they were keeping their courtship a secret, but he was willing to accept whatever came his way. 

Would he pull a Chat Noir-esque date? Or would he go classy, albeit safe, Adrien-style? Either way, he knew it’d be outrageously grandiose, most likely more extravagant than needed in the eyes of others. But what was he to do? He was falling deeper and deeper in love with that woman by the day, and he knew, from experience, that once one fell in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, one would never truly get over her. Ultimately, he was confessing to the love of his life that he still loved her after all these years, and as excited as he was, it was nerve-wracking. 

Collecting his laptop, mouse, and charger, he ushered himself to the meeting room, a dull, white room with a projector set-up on one wall and company achievement posters decorating the rest. There was a large wooden table in the center of the room, with eight chairs–one for him and the rest of his colleagues attending. He sighed, seating himself at the end of the table as he waited for the rest of the attendees to arrive. Yet, even as he tried his hardest to focus on his work, Marinette’s image kept coming up in his mind. Her eyes, her rosy lips, and freckled cheeks kept pestering him as he tried to swat the thoughts away. It wasn’t the time nor place, and it certainly wasn’t professional to be pondering one’s love life while waiting for a meeting to begin. But, as much as he attempted to rid himself of the visualizations, they only grew stronger. 

Frustrated, he rose from his chair, muffling a scream by taking off his blazer and pouring out his frustration into the garment. If one of the fashion designers had seen him, he’d be in a heap of trouble. Regardless, Adrien grew agitated and antsy, considering he hadn’t been this lovesick since before he and Marinette had revealed their superhero identities to each other. He was seventeen when they had done so, and, eleven years later, he was still feeling the same childish emotions? Sure, they were stronger, more intense, and to the capacity that he had never felt before, but, honestly, was it appropriate for him to be this far down in the rabbit hole of love? 

All of his friends had found their true love, with Nino conceiving a child with Alya, Marc and Nathaniel engaged, Rose and Juleka still dating, and Mylene and Ivan happily married. Here he was, single, alone, and with a four-year-old daughter. He was supposed to be a mature adult, goddamnit! He wasn’t supposed to be feeling any sort of love of this intensity, more so than he’d ever felt before. How did Marinette entrance him to such a level? 

The meeting droned on and on for what felt like forever, and Adrien struggled to keep himself from bouncing in his seat from excitement from what was to come later that night. After an hour, he and his colleagues disbanded, and he made his way to his father’s office. It was on the top floor, the largest room that most found daunting. Gabriel Agreste was standing with his back to the door, facing the wall of windows that overlooked Paris. The sun was shining at its peak in the sky, amongst a brilliant blue sky decorated with fluffy, blue clouds. Adrien walked into the office, waving to Nathalie, who was sitting at her secretary desk across from Gabriel’s. 

“Hello, Father,” Adrien greeted, sitting in the chair opposite his father’s.

“Son. How was the meeting?” Gabriel asked, sitting in his desk chair, and straightening the papers on his desk. “I believe it went well?” 

“It certainly did. The preparations for the autumn line are nearly done and will be ready with plenty of time to spare before the launch on Monday. The sale expectancy is at an all-time high, and all of our warehouses and retailers are experiencing booming rates. Agreste Fashions is the most high-ranking fashion house in Europe due to how much this line is being hyped, Father.” Adrien grinned, not containing his urge to bounce on his seat. Gabriel chuckled at his son’s adolescent behavior. 

“I believe that is solely due to the contributions you have made in the corporation. I am quite proud of what you’ve accomplished, Adrien. Not only are sales high, but employee morale is too.” 

Adrien beamed even wider at the unexpected praise, knowing that it didn’t come often. “Is that the only reason you called me here?” 

“No, not exactly. Has Mlle Dupain-Cheng been enjoying her time back in Paris?”

“I believe she has. We’ve been talking more after we apologized for… you know what happened. I was thinking about dating again, as you and my friends have been heavily suggesting, and figured that I could see if things would work out with her again. I just have a few concerns. Mainly about Emma.” 

“Adrien, you shouldn’t worry too much. My grand-daughter is very versatile and loving, she is sure to like Marinette.” 

“That’s not my problem. She’s just never expressed wanting a mother, and I don’t know if she’d be okay with it.” 

“Don’t you think that you should ask Marinette out first before you start jumping to conclusions?” Nathalie interjected. “You can’t immediately leap to marriage.” 

“I agree, son. And as for if and when you do consider marriage, with any woman, you should talk things out for her as we did you when Nathalie and I were talking of getting married.” 

“That worked out well, didn’t it.” Nathalie smiled. 

“I know that Mlle Dupain-Cheng will be ending her break this coming Monday, meaning you don’t have much time left. Just know, not that you care, but I approve of her. She’s a resourceful young woman and there aren’t many like her. Once you have her, you cannot, by any means, let go of her. There is no one I would rather call my daughter-in-law.” 

Adrien smirked. “Now who’s jumping straight to marriage?” 

Gabriel gave a small chuckle. “Get out of here! I have a meeting with a client in less than ten minutes and I must prepare.” 

“Bye, father. Bye, Nathalie.” 

“Bye, Adrien,” the couple responded in unison. 

***

Chat Noir paced back and forth on the rooftop, waiting for Ladybug to arrive. He’d set up the secluded rooftop exactly how he’d imagined, and shot Marinette a text asking her to come at the specific time. He’d give her the rose, confess his feelings to her, and simply see what happened next. 

He severely hoped it was something good. 

All his attempts at his signature bad flirting, terrible (in others’ opinion. In his, they were paw-some) puns, and small gifts like chocolate and flowers, would finally be determined if they were worth it or not. Now, it was only a matter of time. 

The candles were laid out, illuminating the space underneath the blanket of stars, and a dinner for two settled in a picnic basket. He’d opted for takeout, knowing that he wouldn’t have enough time to prepare a meal himself. She appeared a few moments later, a shocked smile on her face. 

Chat was practically wearing his heart on his sleeve, his “tail” folding itself into the shape of a heart. He watched as Ladybug looked around, her smile slowly fading. 

“Adrien, what is all this?” she asked, twirling the end of her single braid around her finger. 

“I… uh… did it for you. All of this. As sort of a last goodbye before you go back to Milan.” 

“Is this about the ki– that night in your car?” Chat grimaced. She couldn’t even talk about it, even after several weeks had passed. Although they were friends—good friends—he couldn’t help but wonder if Marinette also embarrassed about what happened that night. After all, there was an uncomfortable silence between them a few days following, and that was never good. 

He looked down at his boots, his confidence vanishing. “Yeah. It is. I’ve realized there’s something I’ve desperately needed to tell you since you came home.” He felt his hands grow clammy and ignored the rumbling in his stomach. “I…”  _ Come on! You can do this!  _ “…I still love you. And I wanted to tell you before you left.” 

“You… you still love me?” 

Adrien felt his heart pound like a jackhammer against his ribs. He would be surprised if he didn’t have a heart attack from how fast it was beating. All his optimism quickly vanished; apprehension and despondency overpowering his senses. Nevertheless, he responded. “I do.” 

She audibly took a breath in and panic rose to her face. “You still love me. Why?” her tone grew angrier, and although it was not much above a whisper, it was still loud enough for his enhanced (thanks to the miraculous) hearing to catch on to. “You could have your pick of literally anyone else. Anyone else! Out of any ten people in France, you can easily find three of those that would swoon for you easily.” 

“I don’t want any of them, I just want you!” 

“Why me? I left you! I declined your proposal, I strapped you into a life you didn’t want.”

“That wasn’t your fault, you know that. It was my father who forced me into the marriage, and you were just looking out for me.” 

“How do you know that it won’t happen again? How do you know that one of our hearts won’t be stomped on once more? I was heartbroken when I left France. Adrien, weren’t you even a little scared about what would happen if you confessed to me?” 

“I–” 

“You’re acting just like how you did when we were teenagers. You aren’t thinking straight, Agreste. Grow up!” 

Anger quickly replaced his dejection as Adrien clenched his fists. He could hear Plagg chanting the words in his head:  _ Don’t do something you’ll regret, kid.  _ He didn’t listen. “I’ve grown. More than you know. You kinda have to when you’re FORCED INTO RAISING A DAUGHTER BY YOURSELF!” 

“You aren’t acting reasonably. You think a month of friendship after five fucking years of silence is enough for us to just start a relationship again? You can’t just live with your head in the clouds and wish that everything will be okay in the end.” 

“You think I didn’t think about this? All I could think about since you got back was you. I don’t care if I am the heir to a multi-million dollar company, and I don’t care that I’m pined over by most of the general public, but I do care that you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, were the first person to become my friend solely because you thought I was worth it. Not because I possessed good looks and a fortune to my name. I love you. I want you. And if you think for even one second that I haven’t thought this through, that’s absolute bullshit.” He gulped, trying to gain his composure and push the building tears back. 

“I’ve thought of everything,” he continued, “like what would a relationship between two people that live in different countries look like? Or what would Emma think if we took it further than just dating?” He continued. “I’ve run every possible scenario in my head since I realized that I was still in love with you. And call me childish, or whatever the hell you want, but you can’t just pretend like you’re the only one that’s hurting. You need to see both sides of the story.” 

She fidgeted with her fingers. “Adrien, you know that’s not what I–” 

“Then what do you mean? For all I know, every word that’s spewing out of your mouth could be a lie.” 

“That’s not fair.” 

“What’s not fair is that you’re coming back here, pretending like you are absolutely sure that you know what my life is like. You think that I was absolutely fine after you left, right? Guess what, Marinette. It still hurts. It hurts so bad that I have the ring I had proposed to you with buried in the back of my nightstand drawer because I was unable to return it. So tell me. What is true?” 

Her mouth was slightly ajar, a small gasp escaping her lips. Cool winds blew past them, rustling the plastic of the takeout bag and blowing out some of the candles. Chat Noir didn’t care. His eyes were fixed on that of Ladybug. She finally spoke after a moment of brief silence. “What’s true is that I’ve moved on. And you shouldn’t be hung up on me either. We live separate lives now, and we only see each other some odd times in a year.” A tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek. “It’s not wise for you to keep loving me, and I…”

“What?” He raised an eyebrow, his chest hurting and his face ablaze in anger and betrayal. 

“I don’t think it’s fair that you love me when I don’t feel the same about you.” She looked down, several tears waterfalling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” 

“No need to be sorry.” Despite his words, his tone was anything but forgiving. He harnessed his own tears, collecting the bag of takeout and turning his back to her. “The heart wants what the heart wants. Besides,” A single tear slipped down his cheek. “I’m used to rejection by now.” 

“Chaton, please–” 

“Good night Ladybug. Have a safe trip back to Milan.” 

Before she could look up and beg him to stay, he was gone, his suit perfect camouflage in the dead of night. Ladybug sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. She softly uttered her de-transformation words and, after a concise flash of pink light, Tikki appeared by her side.

“Marinette, are you okay?”

“Tikki, I really, really messed up.” 

***

As Adrien drove home that night after picking Emma up from his father’s place, the bright lights fused together and his vision blurred, courtesy of his hushed tears. When he had arrived at Agreste Manor, he had barely made it out without answering any of Gabriel and Nathalie’s pestering questions about why he was home earlier than expected or why he looked like he had been crying. 

It was barely past ten-thirty and Emma had fallen asleep in the back of the car. He tried his hardest to conceal his emotions, especially while getting his daughter ready for bed. He changed her out of her clothes, pulling her into her favorite onesie before tucking her under the covers. He tossed and turned in his bed for nearly an hour, before giving up on sleeping and making his way to the kitchen for ice cream. It was the natural break-up medicine, along with several hours' worth of sad movies and something extraneously drastic.

His phone lit up as he settled into the couch. He was aware of all the paperwork he had to complete but he felt like procrastinating further, so he picked it up. Drying his tears and shrugging the fuzzy blanket off his shoulders, he checked the caller ID. Nino. He picked up the call, and after a few short seconds, Nino’s face appeared on the screen. His hair was disheveled, eyes with large bags and dark circles, and clothes ruffled. Faint crying could be heard in the background, as well as Alya fervently trying to hush the baby. 

“Hey, man. Wow, you– you look rough.” 

“I want to get drunk. Now. Can we go to a bar?” 

“No can do, man. You have a little girl to take care of, and Alya and I’ve suffered way too many sleepless nights via my stupid– beautiful son. The little guy’s great, but he’s really a giant pain in the ass.” 

Adrien chuckled, listening to Alya yell at Nino from behind. “Nino Lahiffe!” she yelled. “Watch your tone!” 

“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckled, kissing his wife on the cheek. “You know I love our little pain in the ass.” He turned back to Adrien. “So what’s this about getting drunk?” 

“Let’s just say that I lost the bet. And got humiliated and yelled at in the process.”

“You and Marinette are no longer on speaking terms again? Damn, I was really looking forward to going on double dates.” 

“You actually thought I’d pull it off? I was scared something like this would happen. Curse my terrible black cat luck.” 

“Not my fault!” Plagg yelled from the kitchen counter, where he was nibbling on cheese. “You fucked up this one all on your own.”

Adrien scowled in the kwami’s direction, growling. 

“Yes, I was absolutely certain you could pull it off,” Nino said. “I wasn’t serious about this bet. I just knew you were way too hesitant to actually make a move on Marinette, and knowing how competitive you are, I formulated this plan. But this stopped being about our stupid wager weeks ago. How did you mess up your chances with Marinette?” 

“Confessed his undying love to her on a rooftop. Pigtails totally freaked out and started shouting at him. It was quite embarrassing to watch,” Plagg explained, faux-belching right after. 

Nino rubbed his temples, sighing. “What did she say?” 

“Something along the lines of she doesn’t love me and we’ll never be together,” Adrien groaned. “I’m giving up, man. I’ll end up old and alone, reminiscing on Emma’s childhood days with Plagg, maybe have another cat. Or two. Or three…” 

“Adrien! Dude, don’t get ahead of yourself. All hope is not lost and there are plenty of other fish in the sea.” 

“The fish are dying because people are idiots and are constantly polluting the ocean,” Adrien deadpanned. 

“Bad example, I get it. Regardless, you can’t just harbor your emotions for Marinette. If you want to get over her, then so be it, but it’s obvious she still has feelings for you. It may not be love, but you are still more than a friend to her. It’s possible that there’s another factor contributing to her rejection, and I could question her about it if you want–”

“No. I’m done with her. She’s somehow managed to break my heart again, and for this reason, I will be swearing off dating anyone. Thank you, Nino, but I will proceed to break out a bottle of vodka and get drunk alone.” 

“Dude, just go to bed. It’s past one am and it’s Saturday tomorrow. You’ll have to deal with Emma all day. Get some rest, and do something fun with your daughter. She’ll be sure to lift your spirits. And if she doesn’t, I would have failed my job as her funcle.” 

“What the hell is a funcle?” 

“Fun Uncle, Adrien! Get with the program! Now, hang up and go to sleep.” 

“Fine.” The call ended, leaving his phone dark. 

Although he claimed he was done with Marinette, he couldn’t help but want to call her or just hear her voice. He knew he shouldn’t, knowing that if she did, he’d feel twice as heartbroken as he already was. Nino, to some degree, was right. It would be wise to move on healthily if he still wanted to. He’d go to sleep, then in the morning he’d wake up and spend the entire day doing fun things with his daughter. He’d be happy and completely forget about Marinette. That would be perfect. But he still couldn’t shake the shattering feeling in his chest. Their argument replayed over and over again in his head like a song that he couldn’t get enough of, except it carried a much worse connotation. What was he, a desperate man that was in love with the same wonderful woman for over a decade, supposed to do? Feelings as strong as his didn’t just vanish overnight, even if he wished they would. 

How was it possible that this woman, while capable of making the happiest man in the world, had managed to break his heart time and time again? 


	6. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette rejected Adrien and left for Milan. But how are both reacting after the brutal argument?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love on my past chapters! We are more than half way through! Good things are coming, I promise.

Marinette hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep throughout the entire weekend. The guilt was eating her whole, and it was starting to become too much to bear. After all, that face he made when she’d told him she didn’t feel the same way as him was the most heartbreaking thing she’d ever seen in all her twenty-seven years of life. She hadn’t meant what she said that night at all. The truth was, she still loved him, deeply and dearly, more than she could express in words. She, too, hadn’t gotten over her time with him and kicked herself daily for treating him like garbage. He was the kindest, sweetest, most loyal, and hard-working man she’d ever come across, and she hated that she’d let him go. 

She had to, but why was she stopping herself from getting him back?

Sitting back in her apartment in Milan, Marinette tried calling him again, knowing full well that she’d be sent straight to voicemail. She couldn’t blame him. If the roles were reversed, she’d most likely do the same. Regardless, she sighed and went to record the voicemail after listening to his outgoing message. 

“Hey, Adrien,” she started. “judging as you have not picked up any of my calls, I just wanted to tell you, again, that I’m really, truly sorry. I hope you’re doing all right and holding up okay. I didn’t mean what I said Friday night, I don’t know what I was thinking. I do care about you and cherish the days we spent together when we were dating five years ago and when I came back to Paris for the trip, but I guess it was just my anxiety telling me that our relationship would end the same way all over again. I know, this sounds so stupid, and I know if you don’t want to give me a second chance. But please, all I’m requesting is that you give me a shot to explain myself. So… yeah. Bye. I love you.” 

She ended the voicemail, cringing at how awkward she was. Why was it so hard? She’d already left him five messages, all of them of her gracelessly explaining that she had made an enormous mistake. She fumbled over her words when she spoke, stuttering just as bad as she used to when she initially crushed on Adrien. 

Part of her didn’t want to leave Paris either, she wanted to stay until Adrien would finally forgive her. She’d talked to Tikki the night before, but the kwami had urged her to go back to Milan, saying that she’d lose her job if she didn’t go back. Marinette ultimately agreed and vowed that she’d still try to make things right with Adrien, no matter how she had to do it. 

***

Adrien, despite his best efforts, had been a wreck all weekend. Thank goodness Hawkmoth had disappeared several years ago because, if he hadn’t been, Adrien would’ve surely been akumatized by now. Although, as he was driving his daughter to her daycare before work, he plastered on the smile he practiced from his childhood modeling days and didn’t allow himself to think about Marinette until the night. 

That didn’t last long. 

“You know, Daddy,” Emma kicked her heels against the car seat, watching as the trees and the buildings passed by in rapid motion when they moved past. “You’ve been with Auntie Mari a lot this past month. I really like her. I think she’s fun and kind. I want her to live with us.” 

Adrien practically choked on air. It was fortunate that they were at a red light because if they weren’t, he would’ve caused a car accident from the sudden comment. He started the car again, struggling to regain his proper breathing pattern as he drove in the direction of Emma’s daycare. Right. She didn’t know about their fight. Adrien had tried to hide his heartbreak and the atrocious bags under his eyes from crying himself to sleep. 

“What makes you say that, princess?” He asked, trying to hide his panicked face. 

“Well, at daycare, a lot of my friends’ moms come to read stories to us or pick them up from school. I always imagined how my mom would be, and Auntie Mari acts like how my friend, Simon’s, mom does. What if she was my mommy?” 

Adrien felt his heart crack. It had never occurred to him that Emma ever wondered about her birth mother or what happened that caused her mother to never be around. He had chosen to not tell Emma about Kagami until she was old enough, and thought that he could provide all she needed. Adrien knew through his own experience that that wouldn’t be possible. He’d lost his mother too, and her absence made him long for that missing piece of his family. Emma had never experienced a mother’s love, especially since Kagami had had a tarnished mindset associated with her baby. 

He knew that whoever he fell in love with would not only put an effect on his life but also his daughter’s. Marinette was amazing with Emma, there was no doubt, but did Emma truly see Marinette as her mother? If she did, that was quickly destroyed. He couldn’t face Marinette now, even if he wanted to. She’d hurt him too badly.

“Emma, darling, I’m flattered you enjoyed Marinette’s company, but I don’t think she could live with us.”

“Please, Daddy? She can stay in my room! It’s really big!” Emma pleaded, her eyes turning glossy from building tears. “I want her to be my Mommy! You love her too, don’t you?” 

“All I wanted for a very long time was to spend the rest of my life with her,” Adrien grew frantic, unable to determine what to do. 

“Then why don’t you marry her? She can be my Mommy and you can spend the rest of your life with her!” 

Adrien pulled the car over in shock and frustration, failing to contain his heartbreak further. “Because she hates me!” He shouted. “She doesn’t love me back, Emma! And she can’t stay with us because she’s all the way in Milan! Italy! A different country! Friday night she left me, just like how she did five years ago! I’m sorry, sweetheart, but she can’t be your mother and she cannot be my wife.” The words felt heavy in his heart, and he instantly regretted his harsh tone.

He heard the car door open, then slam shut, and then another one opening. Emma was climbing onto the passenger seat, resting her knees against the chair to gain enough height to hug her face. Tears dripped down her face, as guilt churned through her stomach. “I’m sorry, Daddy. Are you mad?” 

Adrien pulled his daughter into his lap, hugging her tightly. “No, darling. I could never be angry with you, you didn’t know anything about what happened between me and Marinette. Just know, she and I are probably not going to speak to each other for a long time. Or never again.” He was aware that Marinette had called him several times, he saw all the missed calls and refused to listen to the voicemails she’d left behind. There were possibly four or five of them, but Adrien couldn’t muster up enough emotional strength to hear her voice. He knew the second he did, he would go crawling back to her. 

Sucking in a breath, Emma whispered in his ear, “Daddy, I want you to be happy. And you’ve only been frowning since Friday. Did I do something wrong?” 

“Princess, you did nothing wrong. Let me tell you something. When you’re older and you start liking boys–or other girls, whomever you want–just know that you’re gonna feel the same way I’m feeling right now. Heartbroken.”

“Did Auntie Mari break up with you? Like how they do in the movies?”

“Yeah. Sort of.” 

“Don’t be sad, Daddy! Lots of people like you! And,” she hugged him tighter, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “That night I had a scary nightmare, you told me that you’ll never leave me. I promise that I’ll never leave you either.” 

“Thank you, Princess,” Adrien smothered her face with kisses, making her giggle and scrunch up her nose in delight. He walked her to the daycare, watching as she ran to her friend, Simon, and swaddled him in a hug. Her laugh brought authentic joy to Adrien’s eyes as he walked back to the car and started his way to work. 

Who needed a girlfriend when he had the best daughter in the whole wide world?

***

The day, as usual, was composed of a dull symphony of meetings, emails, and paperwork to sign and send off to his father, but at around four-thirty, he had completed all his meetings and was ready to clock out for the evening. Since the release of the autumn fashion line was slowly commencing, Adrien had more than enough work to fill up his plate, but he couldn’t leave Emma at the daycare for too long. It’d be a late night, and he’d have to complete several amounts of work before going to the office the following morning, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

However, as he was leaving the building, his phone lit up and started beeping again, Marinette’s smiling face decorating the previously black screen. He groaned, pressing decline before the ringtone could play for more than a few seconds. Couldn’t she tell that she was the last person he wanted to talk to?

As he was driving back to Emma’s daycare, Adrien’s phone rang again, and he was getting fully ready to block Marinette’s number from his phone. To his surprise, it wasn’t Marinette. It was Gabriel. He picked up the call, waiting for it to connect before hearing his father’s gruff “Hello, son.” 

“Hey, Father. Was there any work that I didn’t complete? I can finish those once I retrieve Emma and get home.” 

“I called to inform you nothing of the sort, just that the management at Agreste Fashions will be changing slightly. The head designer, as you know, recently passed away.” 

“I heard. I sent my regards to Maurice’s family.” 

“Despite that, I’ve been searching for someone to assume the position, and have considered promoting one of our current clients. She will assume the position next Tuesday.” 

“Okay, Father. Might I know who she is?” 

“You will find that out for yourself come Tuesday. How’s the launch doing as of currently?” 

“I sent you the email regarding today’s sale summary. The new marketing strategies we’ve been implementing have done wonders for our sales at the flagship stores. So far, people have been loving the new designs and like that they are at a more affordable cost than past years.” 

“Excellent. I will see you tomorrow. Enjoy your evening.” 

“Wait! I actually needed to discuss something with you, Father. And it’s kinda been bugging me all day. Well, two things. One’s about Emma.” 

“What’s bothering you? And make it quick, I have a meeting quite soon.” 

Adrien shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “I was wondering… How did you get over Maman?”

“Is this why you looked like you were on the verge of a mental breakdown when you arrived at the mansion Friday night? I take it things didn’t go over well with Mlle Dupain-Cheng?”

Adrien nodded, but quickly realized Gabriel couldn’t see him. “Yes. Unfortunately.” 

“Son, I never truly got over your mother. She was an adventurous, spunky woman that I think neither you nor I could ever forget. When she died, I’d loved her for over a decade, just as you have Mlle Dupain-Cheng. I know, through my own experience, she’ll always remain in your heart, but you’ll have to open it to more. That is if you believe that you have no chance left with her.” 

“I am ninety-nine percent certain there is no possibility of us getting back together. Marinette told me that her feelings don't reciprocate mine.” Adrien breathed, turning the steering wheel right. That one percent that was missing was just a way of his optimism shining through, but he could not help but believe that that one percent would prevail. “But that’s not the only reason I want to get over Marinette. Emma said something about having a mother today, and that she wanted one. I have a feeling she feels like she’s different from other kids because she hasn’t felt that motherly love ever in her life.” 

Gabriel let out a huff of air, and Adrien could hear rustling and squeaking from the other end of the line. “As she grows, that feeling will only grow with her. She’ll always want a mom. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong in terms of your parenting ability, in fact, you’ve taught me a thing or two about how to be a suitable father. Despite that, your friend Alya has done an excellent job with Emma, but Emma knows that that’s just her aunt. Not her real mother.” 

“She’s going to start talking more about it, isn’t she. Emma felt some sort of connection with Marinette. One that neither she nor I could explain.” 

“I believe this is one of those situations that everything becomes clear in a very short amount of time. And I believe Emma knows whom she wants her mother to be. I hope you will find some clarity on what to do regarding this situation. Goodbye.”

The line went dead, leaving Adrien to replay their conversation in his head. As much as he didn’t want to, it was probably best to start seeing other women and get fully over Marinette. After he’d originally fallen for her as Ladybug when he was fourteen, he’d only seem to find himself deeper and deeper in love. He never noticed other girls, just Marinette/Ladybug. Maybe that was what was holding him back?

He picked Emma up from her daycare and listened as she enthusiastically went on about her day. She showed him the pictures she colored, the book she read and impressed the teacher with, and friendship bracelets she’d made with Simon. He tried to forget about his messed-up love life while hanging out with Emma as they ate takeout for dinner several hours later, and through working after bathing her, reading her bedtime story, and putting her to bed. Unfortunately, it kept pestering him like a disease he couldn’t shake, and another call from Marinette had almost made him lose all his self-discipline and pick it up. He was still mad at her, yes, but she was always the one he went to for advice. 

“Daddy?” Emma had asked him shortly after Adrien set the storybook back on her shelf. “Do you feel better now? You don’t look sad anymore.” 

He thought back to his conversation with her earlier, and the one he had later in the day with his father. A small, hopeful smile tugged on his lips as he swaddled her in a hug once again. “Much better, thank you, princess.” 

“But Daddy, I was wondering. Why don’t I have a mommy like all my friends?” 

His smile quickly vanished. He didn’t want to tell her that Kagami left her when she was just a baby. That wasn’t something a little kid wanted to hear. Notwithstanding the fact that all his attempts to come up with any other excuse had been futile, he decided to dodge the question. “I think it’s about time you went to bed.” Sure, it wasn’t the most advisable action, but what else could he say? 

“Okay…” It was clear that she was unconvinced. “Good night, Daddy. Love you.” He leaned down for Emma to give him their customary kiss on the cheek. 

“Good night, darling. Sweet dreams.” 

Adrien left to go to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Although he knew Emma was perfectly content with just him parenting her, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt bubble in his chest. What if Marinette had told him she loved him that night on the rooftop? He would’ve easily been able to avoid Emma’s questions about her birth mother, and he would’ve been much happier. He ran another scenario in his head. It was indisputable that Kagami was no longer Emma’s mother, as she had disowned her newly born daughter along with the divorce. But how would Emma would’ve reacted if she found out that Kagami didn’t want her? For a man that enjoyed solving puzzles and often did so with ease, he was stumped. 

And it didn’t help that his phone lit up with a picture of Marinette once again.

He cut the call and washed the last of the dishes, loading them into the dishwasher. However, his thoughts couldn’t stray away from Marinette. Unaware of what else to do, he walked into his closet, shifted through the boxes kept in the back, and pulled out a pink diary. It was dusty from lying untouched after a long time and quite hefty, but it was once Adrien’s prized possession. It was his and Marinette’s scrapbook from when they were dating, a collection of all their memories together. The large pink book had glitter decorating the top and some photos sticking out. Adrien opened a page, a selfie of the two of them taking up most of the paper. 

They were sitting in front of a plate of dinner, both with big smiles on their faces. Marinette had her head rested on his shoulder, her eyes closed. It looked like she was laughing. He recalled this photo was from their ‘first date’ that they decided to spend with a home cooked Italian dinner and several photos on self-timer. They had already decided that this relationship would be kept under wraps–at least for the time being. Looking back at their big, goofy grins, Adrien would’ve never suspected that things would end up going so terribly wrong between the two of them. They thought that they’d keep it secret for a few months, go public when telling his father, then get engaged and married a few years later. They would move into a big house—not as big as Agreste Manor, they’d decided on that much–right in the heart of Paris.

Adrien felt tears well up in his eyes as he flipped through the worn pages of the scrapbook he and Marinette created. There were days like their first anniversary and their anniversary of becoming superheroes and friends highlighted. As much as he wanted to get over her, he didn’t want memories like these to wither away, vanished into oblivion. He was right. Once you fell in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you could never truly get over her. 

Adrien walked back into the closet, carefully putting the scrapbook back into his box. He felt at war with himself. How was it remotely possible to get over her if he felt gravitated to that box, the one that housed all his memories of Marinette? On the other hand, what was he supposed to do? It was only a matter of time before he would give in to the temptation to pick her calls, his urge to hear her voice quenched. 

Marinette was once his sun, his moon, his lady, his bugaboo. Getting over her would be no walk in the park, he was well aware of that. He also knew that she didn’t feel the same way he did about her. Never, in his wildest dreams, did he think that the time would come that he would ever have to get over her; she was the one true love of his life. But he’d have to move on. He wasn’t on his own anymore, for he had Emma. He couldn’t dwell on someone that chose not to be in his life that way anymore. Soon enough, Emma would need a mother, and he’d have to live with knowing that he’d need to fall in love again. 

But did it really have to be this damn hard?

***

Gabriel paced back and forth in his home-office at Agreste Manor. “Have I made the correct decision?” He asked his wife, who was sitting at one of the armchairs. His tone was hurried and tense, and his pace quickened, only increasing his internal anxiety. 

“You need to stop overthinking this choice,” Nathalie responded, her eyes shifting with her husband’s movement across the room. “I think you’ve done the right thing.”

“What, by bringing Marinette back to France as the replacement for Maurice–may she rest in peace–and, therefore, keep her closely working with Adrien. As it is working out right now, she and he will both be taking over the company in less than a decade’s time, but Adrien’s mad at her as of currently. I can’t have the successors, the very reason Agreste Fashions will work like clockwork, be in a constant feud!” He fiddled with the wedding band on his left ring finger as he walked around the room. 

It was dimly lit, the light of the moon acting as the only source of life other than a small lamp in the back of the room. 

“Gabriel, the partial reason you chose Marinette is that you know how Adrien and Emma feel about her. You are, at this point, considering her to be a future daughter-in-law. I know that you are using this as some convoluted plan to get them to be reconciled and it has a very high chance of success. But I believe there is another basis on which you are doing this.” 

“Nathalie, I tore them apart five years ago, and that destroyed Adrien. He was left alone, divorced, and with a child that he had little knowledge of how to take care of. He and I have worked hard to amend our relationship, and this will do more than any apology can. And now, considering that Emma is already starting to consider Mlle Dupain-Cheng as a maternal figure, all the pieces are falling into place.”

“That’s good. So why are you still questioning your decision?” 

“This can go south terribly quickly.” 

“And you don’t want things to be worse than they already are.” 

“Precisely.” 

“So you’re putting the wellbeing of your company, relationship with your son and granddaughter, and your professional reputation on the line just to atone for your mistakes?” 

“I believe so,” Gabriel concluded, his lips pressed into a thin line. “However, it is a risk I am willing to take. I haven’t seen Adrien this depressed since he was forced to marry Mlle Tsurugi or right after Emelie died.” 

Nathalie gave a small smile. “You’ve changed for the better, Gabriel. I’m proud of you. Normally, you wouldn’t even know that this was going on in your son’s life. ” 

Gabriel felt the corners of his lips tug as he adjusted his glasses. “Thank you, Nathalie. I’m glad you’re my wife.”

”I’m glad I’m your wife too.” Nathalie got up and hugged him, easing the tension out of his shoulders. “And I’m also glad you’re my husband. ”


	7. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is back in Paris to assume the position of Head Designer, and Adrien is not happy about it. How will the two react?

Marinette unpacked her bags in her childhood bedroom, wondering whether she should stay at the bakery or find an apartment of her own. It really wasn’t an ideal situation, considering she had been back in Milan for approximately seven days before racing back to Paris when Gabriel Agreste offered her the promotion. He promised that he’d take care of moving all her big belongings back to France, and now they were all put in a storage warehouse. She knew it was tedious and difficult to pack up her entire apartment in less than forty-eight hours, but she’d done it nonetheless. After all, she only wanted to go to Milan because of Adrien and Kagami’s marriage. Seeing as they were divorced now, she was more than happy to come home. Now she was set to be the head designer of _Agreste Fashions_ , got a more than substantial paycheck, and was closer to her friends and family. Plus, it was bound to give her well over enough time to apologize to Adrien about being an absolute jerk to him. 

Tikki flew around the room, helping Marinette unpack. Marinette had brought four suitcases and several boxes with her belongings. She was able to get rid of a lot of her possessions or send them into storage because, as far as she knew, the bakery would be her home once again. 

“Marinette, what are you doing? We still need to put your clothes away!” The kwami scolded her holder, watching Marinette tap away on her phone.

“I’m texting Adrien if we can meet for coffee later today. I need to ask him for his forgiveness as soon as possible. Otherwise, it’ll keep hanging over my head and I won’t be able to focus on anything else.” 

“Marinette, you’ve already left him several voicemails and texts. I doubt he wants to see you and maybe you should just give him some space. I think you’re being a little pushy and clingy.” 

“It’s just the guilt. I’ve never felt more culpable, you know that.” 

“But you yelled at him and managed to break his heart a second time. Put yourself in his shoes. What would you do if the love of your life just told you they didn’t feel the same as you?” Tikki rested on the bed, still a little annoyed that they were blowing off unpacking to discuss her romantic endeavors. They’d repeated a conversation on this topic several times since that night, and it always ended with the same conclusion. 

Marinette threw her phone onto the pillow and buried her head in her hands. She sighed, hairs falling onto her face as she slouched. “I’m an idiot. I never should’ve said what I said that night. You think Bunnix would be fine with taking me through a time warp?”

“Marinette, you know time travel isn’t the answer to everything. You were just scared that a relationship between you two would end in heartbreak as it did last time, but you’re breaking both of your hearts in the process. Don’t you see that?” Tikki sat on her holder’s shoulder. “If you really want to apologize to him that badly, then just pay him a visit.” 

“I don’t even know what I was thinking through inviting him to coffee. He doesn’t even want to see me. There's no chance that he’d ever want to talk to me. There’s absolutely no way I can get a hold of him without letting Nino and Alya know. I truthfully have no clue why I’m still trying.” 

Tikki hummed in understanding. “As far as I know, tomorrow you have a meeting with none other than Monsieur Agreste junior, and it’s an hour-long.” 

Marinette gave a small, hopeful smile. “That sounds perfect.” 

***

The clock was ticking dangerously slowly. Marinette always hated the build-up to a long-awaited event, particularly how the seconds seemed to pass as if they were minutes and minutes passed like hours. 

She was head designer of _Agreste Fashions_ now, meaning she had already anticipated that she would spend more than the needed amount of time to get ready for her first day at such a high position in the company. But it wouldn’t be a lie if she would admit that she also paid too much attention to her appearance due to the sole factor of her meeting with Adrien. She had put on a small and modest amount of makeup, her outfit composed of a red button-down, a black blazer, and a black pencil skirt that ended just above her knee. She listened to her black heels click against the tile of the floor as her leg bounced up and down due to nervousness. 

She had her long–though nearly not as long as it was when she was dating Adrien–hair tied into a professional-looking french braid, her ears still donning her black miraculous earrings. She heard a knock on the door, and answered it with a small “come in.” 

Adrien walked into the door, waving to someone who was still in the hall before turning to face Marinette. His smile faded at the sight of her, a stoic expression replacing it. “Hello, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng. Nice to see that you’re the new head designer, you’re very talented.” 

Marinette tried her hardest not to frown. Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng? Was he simply being professional or was he so mad he couldn’t say her first name out loud? She gestured him to the chair across from her desk and he sat down, putting a manilla file folder on the table. “Adri– Monsieur Agreste. A pleasure to be working with you again.” 

He nodded, sensing the awkwardness diluting the air. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a butter knife. “I see you’ve settled in. How was the move back to Paris?”

“Not terrible. I was able to bring everything from my old office and apartment with ease. I still have a few things to put away and rearrange.” 

“Great. And I assume you are aware of the progress we have commenced for the launch of the winter line that will proceed around Christmas time? You’re going to need to start overviewing the progression of those pieces and put in your ideas. You are aware that you will be in charge of all the finishing touches on those pieces by yourself.”

“I know. I was briefed on the job when I was approached for the promotion, and I am excited to start.” 

“Excellent. And some of the work has also been done by our previous head designer–you may know of her, Maurice DuBois–before she passed away. I believe you are more than capable of this position. The first preliminary sketches will be sent to your office shortly after this meeting concludes.” 

Marinette winced at the monotony tinging his voice. He was never this expressionless. Ever. “Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly. 

He nodded, opening the folder he had set on her desk and grabbing some of the paperwork she needed to fill out. His answer wasn’t all that convincing, and one could see the sadness and unease lingering in his eyes. He shuddered as he handed her the paperwork, reading over them once again to make sure he had gotten the right ones out.

“These are about your switch from the Milan department and the Paris one. You know what to do.” 

“Adrien,” She stressed, still taking the papers from her. “Are you okay?” 

He flashed her a practiced model smile, one that was as transparent as a pane of glass. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don't seem like you’re okay. If something’s wrong you can tell me, you know. We may be co-workers now, but we were friends first–” 

“Don’t you dare think about calling me your friend,” Adrien spat. “You can’t just yell at someone and then call them your friends. I’m not okay, obviously. You could have broken my heart in several ways and you chose the one that hurt the most. You can’t just act as if nothing has changed.” 

“But it has changed, I know that.” 

He stood up quickly, “Then why do you keep calling me? Why do you keep texting me? Can’t you tell I don’t want to talk to you? We’re not friends anymore, Marinette. We can’t be friends after how much you hurt me.” His tone grew angrier, a figment of his bubbling discombobulation. He clenched his fists, tugging on the cuffs of his shirt. 

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes, and she noticed that Adrien’s eyes had turned glassy as well. “I didn’t mean to–” 

“Then why did you do that? I don’t care that you don’t love me anymore, I’m used to getting rejected by you.” Marinette grimaced, but he didn’t notice. “I’m sick and tired of us not working out, so I’m giving up on you. I don’t want us to be anything more than co-workers.” He took a breath, trying to regain his corporate composure. “I’ll have the designers send the initial sketches promptly. Have a good day.” 

He left the room, leaving it so silent, one could hear a pin drop. She knew she hurt him, but she didn’t realize it had been to such a horrendous degree. Marinette felt a tear slip down her cheek as his voice echoed in his ears, but she quickly dried it. She couldn’t afford to ruin her reputation on the first day. Yet, she still dared to wonder why she thought it was okay to call him a friend right after she broke his heart.

Tikki flew out of her hiding place, settling on the desk. “It’s okay, Marinette. You’ll have more chances to talk to him.” 

Marinette shook her head, pulling out her laptop and starting to work to avoid the throbbing in her chest. “No, Tikki. It’s not okay. And I don’t know if it ever will be.” 

***

“I need to speak to Father.” Adrien assayed to keep calm and not led his furiousness to get the best of him, but it was getting much harder as he slammed his hands against Nathalie’s desk. “Now.” 

Nathalie gasped, instantly realizing why Adrien was so infuriated. “He’s at a meeting. He won’t be back for another few minutes, but I could tell him to–” 

“No. This is important and it cannot last another second.” 

“I can’t control when his conference ends–” 

“What’s this about needing to talk to me?” Gabriel asked, a puzzled look on his face. “Sorry, Nathalie. The conference for the business deal ended earlier than expected.” 

“Father,” Adrien grumbled, balling his fists. “Why, out of every single employee, did you choose Marinette to get the promotion?” His voice was raised, anger flooding his senses. 

“She’s one of the most promising people in the company and deserved this raise. You should realize, by now, that I don’t play favorites.” 

“But why her? You know how I feel about her, and you know what happened.” Adrien tried his best not to scream. He didn’t want to cause a scene, nor did he want to yell at his father after it took so long for them to finally be on good terms, but he had never felt angrier in his whole life. 

Gabriel and Nathalie exchanged a glance. “Son, please, I know you aren’t thinking highly of her as of currently, but I beg you, could you two try to get along? It’s already been announced to the press and made official.”

“She’s worked really hard for this position,” Nathalie added. 

“But why did you do it?” Adrien questioned, the muscles in his chest and arms tensing. 

“I wanted to try to compensate for my mistake,” Gabriel admitted. “I thought this would be the way to do that.” 

Adrien’s eyes went wide. “What are you talking about?”

Gabriel shook his head, his normally stoic expression now changed to show feelings of despondency. “Just know that this came from a good place. I apologize in advance if this doesn’t work out, but please. Just give it time.” 

“Father? What is this all about?” 

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond but was halted by Nathalie. “Adrien, I think that, for the time being, you will have to cope with Mlle Dupain-Cheng’s reappearance. I know that you get along with just about everyone–it’s mostly because of you that corporate morale is so high. We’re really sorry, truly, that she was the one chosen for this job, especially because we know your, er, history with her. But please know your father didn’t choose her all willy-nilly.” 

“Thank you, Nathalie, but I can explain myself.” Gabriel straightened his blazer. “I told you that night I came to your house shortly after your ex-wife left that I deeply regretted taking her away from you.” 

“You were trying to get Marinette and me back together by bringing her back to Paris?” Adrien bewildered, suddenly feeling inexplicably guilty.

“I didn’t think it would backfire this badly. And yes, she was on my list for being the successor to my company alongside you for quite a while; I wasn’t just choosing her because of you. She will be attending my annual autumn ball this coming Friday evening, and I hope that you two can mend your relationship to at least a friendship.”

“Yes, Father. I should most likely go back to my office, I was informed that I would be receiving some paperwork I have to tend to.” He enveloped his father in a hug before he left. “Even though this majorly misfired, thank you.”

“Why?” 

“For actually caring about me now. This time six years ago, I doubt you would’ve actually cared about my problems as long as it didn’t put the company in jeopardy. You put the well-being of the company in danger just so you could tell me you’re sorry. Thank you.” 

Gabriel gave a small smile and hugged his son back. “My pleasure.” 

***

“Adrien, thank you so much for taking care of Asher tonight. I really enjoyed that nap.” Alya rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she walked out of her bedroom, taking her one-month-old son from Adrien’s grasp. “I know you’re busy, so I really appreciated it.” 

“It’s no big deal. This guy’s a lot easier than Emma was, and definitely more delightful. Emmie wouldn’t sleep for an hour before she woke up screaming and crying. He slept most of the time, which made it easy for me to get some work done.” He laughed at Emma, who yelled a loud ‘Hey!’ at her father’s comment that she wasn’t an easy baby. She pouted, crossing her arms as her cartoons continued to play from the TV.

Alya cradled her baby in her hands, moving to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. “Nino still hasn’t come back from work yet?” 

“No, unfortunately. I called him half an hour ago, and he said he wouldn’t be back for a little bit,” Adrien informed. 

“I feel so bad for him, he barely gets any sleep at night and works all day. But I guess he can’t really complain, at least he doesn't have to raise the child solo because his wife bailed on him.” Alya turned around, getting the ingredients for coffee together with Asher still sound asleep on her hip. “So, do you want to stay for dinner?” 

“I don’t want you to have to put more burden on yourself, I can cook or leave if you need me to–” 

“Nonsense, you’ve already been supplying us food for the last few days. Between your help and Marinette’s, we’ve been getting through just fine. One month in, and I’m starting to get the hang of the whole ‘being a mom’ thing.” 

“Ah, just wait until he starts eating and talking. Oh my god, Emma would not shut up.” 

“Daddy! ‘Shut up’ is a bad word!” Emma yelled from the living room.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Adrien called back, laughing quietly. “But anyway,” he turned back to Alya. “I think you and Nino will be just fine. You practically raised that little bundle of sunshine” he rolled his eyes “with me.” 

“And you bet your ass you’re going to do the same with this one.” 

“Daddy? What does ass mean?” Emma asked, startling Adrien as she appeared right beside him. She had a paper in hand, most likely a drawing she had just completed and wanted to show him. Adrien shot Alya a glance as she quickly looked away, whistling a soft tune that would play in movies when a character wants to distract everyone from the situation. 

“Nothing, Emma. Don’t repeat that word,” he chastised and scolded Alya with just his glares. She seemed to catch on quickly and rolled hers in response. 

He and Alya began to cook dinner together, Emma in charge of keeping an eye on Asher as she stated that she wanted to train to become a better big sister. Nino arrived shortly after they started, looking barely awake and stumbling in through the front door. After a short intervention and a cup of coffee, he was sent to go take a shower and returned as soon as the food was done. They sat down at the table, eating in silence until Adrien’s phone began to beep feverishly. He picked it up and sighed at the notifications, all of those pertaining to Gabriel Agreste’s Autumn Gala being held on the following Friday. 

“Work stuff?” Alya asked. 

Adrien nodded. “Since we’re dealing with the release of the autumn line at the same time we get a new head designer, it’s kinda chaotic at the office. Plus, Father’s still holding his Gala, and that’s a whole ordeal in and of itself…” He trailed off, playing with his food on his fork. 

“Isn’t that the one where all the fashion designers come to Paris for an insanely elegant party?” 

“Yep, that’s the one. I, as Gabriel Agreste’s son, have to attend, and, speaking of which, would it be a bother to ask if Emma could stay with you guys that night? If it is, I could easily get a babysitter, but–” 

“We can look after her for one night. It’s no big deal. All she does is sit quietly and play.” 

“If it’s not too much of a burden, then thank you. I really appreciate it.” 

“It’s no problem, honestly,” Nino chimed in. “Emma will ensure we will stay awake!”

“Yeah, that’s right! I will!” Emma interjected. 

“So the plan’s set?” Adrien ensured. Murmurs of the agreement were spoken from everyone else at the table. 

They continued eating, the rest of the meal enveloped in laughter and joy. Adrien liked it. It helped take his mind off the discord at work and the tragedy that was his love life. He went to bed with a smile that night. 

***

“Marinette, calm down. Now tell me, why did you reject Adrien if you were still in love with him the entire time?” Sabine asked, offering her daughter a freshly baked croissant to stop her from continuing to pace around her bedroom after she came home from her first day back at the Paris office. 

“Because, Maman, I am the biggest, most idiotic idiot to ever walk this Earth. I’m stupid, paranoid, and Adrien hates me now. No, wait, he doesn’t hate me now! He despises me!”

“I think that’s a little far-fetched.” 

“What’s far-fetched is that I thought Adrien would accept me as a friend after our argument. That was probably the dumbest thought that crossed my mind since any of this started. And now I can’t even get him to talk to me for more than five minutes, which is definitely not enough time to explain myself.” 

“Is that all you want to do? Clarify why exactly you rejected him? Because, based on my experiences with dating, that would need to be a remarkably good reason. Otherwise, it would sound like an excuse, and Adrien would only get more enraged towards you.” Sabine sipped her lemon tea, watching as Marinette frustratedly furrowed her eyebrows.

“He yelled at me during our private meeting this morning and said that we should never be more than co-workers from now on. I guess I really just want to apologize for acting so awfully towards him, but what am I supposed to do? He really caught me off guard with that love confession.” 

“I believe that both of you share the fault in your falling out. He might have overstepped boundaries and started moving a tad bit quickly, but I don’t think he did. He seemed to be quite gentlemanly with you since you returned for your vacation. I think this was the victim of your fears talking, not your heart.” 

“It was, but the problem is that I think he would still get mad even after listening to my reason. I think it’s fairly understandable, but that’s subjective, I know.” She frowned, finally sitting down after a solid ten minutes of pacing. While it would be freeing to be eloquent with Adrien, she couldn’t help but fear that the monster of anxiety would creep up from underneath her bed and swallow her whole. After thinking for longer than necessary, she picked up one of the croissants on the tray beside her mother, furiously biting on one side. Despite how much the perfectly flaky texture and sweet taste of the pastry made her want to smile in content, there was much more on her mind. 

“Well, I can be the judge of that. What’s your reason?”

Marinette let out a breath to collect all her thoughts. “Mainly, I still feel guilty. I left him, Maman. If I had accepted his proposal, imagine where we could’ve been now, right? I shouldn’t have gone to Milan and those feelings of regret only multiplied after I found out that Kagami had divorced him and he was left alone with a three-month-old. How he survived on his own is a mystery to me, but I just wish that I could’ve been there to help him. And then there’s also the fact that I’m scared. You know how badly I was hurt after I declined his proposal. You know how badly I wanted to come back to Paris. I’m frightened that something like that could happen again.”

“Marinette, I think those are perfectly tolerable reasons to reject him, but then he’d most likely ask you how you feel.” 

“I know how I feel. I still love him, Maman, and those feelings are now stronger than I’ve ever felt in the past. I want to be with him more than anything, and I’m willing to face my fears if it means that I can be happy. Besides,” she added, taking another bite of her croissant. “he’s told me time and time again that I shouldn’t feel like I have to blame myself for what happened five years ago. We are all aware that it was Gabriel that imposed the arranged marriage, not me. But…” 

“There’s another thing holding you back.” Sabine stirred her now empty cup in her hands, before setting it on the nightstand along with the now-empty tray of croissants. 

“Exactly.” Marinette flashed an awkward and uneasy smile as she shot an ill-placed set of finger guns. 

“But why would you think that he’d get mad because of that? We both know he’s had a tough time with anxiety in the past as well, if anything, he’d understand your dilemma, and support you. I don’t think those are possible reasons for him to be angry.” 

“I didn’t ask Monsieur Agreste to move me to the Milan portion. I didn’t even want to go. He and Tomoe Tsurugi threatened me to go.” 

Sabine gasped. “What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you liked this chapter!  
> I actually had a very difficult time writing this but I’m glad it came out the way it did in the end.  
> I enjoyed reading your theory that Marinette went to Milan pregnant with her and Adrien’s baby, which was an idea I had thought about for a long time. I ultimately decided to go with Gabriel and Tomor threatening Marinette to leave Paris as it would leave more room for Gabriel’s redemption arc as well as it justifies why Marinette is feeling like this is entirely her fault. More will be revealed in the next chapter, however.  
> The next chapter is imperative to the plot (trust me it’s worth it) though, as I’m finishing it up right now, it is standing at a whopping ~8k for the word count. Just something I’d thought I’d let you all know in advance :)  
> Thank you for all the love and comments on the story, seeing your feedback really, really makes my day!


	8. Autumn Gala Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette are at an all time low in their relationship. Maybe a certain gala could change that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so long I decided to split it into two to not annoy anyone!!! I hope you enjoy and happy reading!

_ [Five years prior—one day after Marinette found out that Adrien was engaged to Kagami] _

_ Marinette packed up her purse, carefully putting her unfinished ensemble in a garment bag to work on once she got home. Humming a soft tune to herself, she rubbed her tired eyes as she left the building. The night before had not granted her with the blessing of sleep and left her tossing and turning throughout. She was too busy crying because of her breakup with Adrien. His face stuck in her memory, the conversation playing on a loop in the depths of her mind. He looked so depressed when she had to leave him, and, throughout the day, she wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms and ask him to run away with her, far away to America or Asia–she didn’t really care as long as it was with him–and start a new life where they could be happy and not have to worry about the rest of the world. She knew that that would never be a reality, though. All fairy tales couldn’t end with a happy ending.  _

_ She had to silence her tears when she watched him walk straight past her office instead of stopping to say hello to her as he did every morning. He didn’t even look at her door, just stopped for a second then kept walking.  _

_ Nearing her car, she wanted nothing more than to soak in a refreshing bath with a glass of red wine the second she got home, hopefully helping her relieve herself of her sadness. However, the unexpected appearance of Gabriel Agreste and Tomoe Tsurugi put a pause on her plans.  _

_ “Monsieur, Madame. How may I help you?” She asked, skeptical.  _

_ “I believe you’re aware that my son is to be engaged with Tomoe’s daughter,” Gabriel started, looking regretful for one reason or another. Madame Tsurugi, on the other hand, looked stern and determined, not showing any feelings of sympathy for Marinette. “I also know that you and Adrien are involved in some sort of secret relationship.” _ __

_ Marinette gasped. “Sir, with all due respect, how did you find out? I thought we took all the necessary precautions–”  _

_ “You were fine, and actually, you managed to keep me in the dark for a little while. But I caught Adrien sneaking glances at you at events, only to disappear with, again, you, and come back with a ridiculous smile on his face. I must admit, if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have known. Now, under the circumstances, I would fire you or threaten to do worse. But Mme Tsurugi here has given me another option.” He shifted uncomfortably, looking like he didn’t at all want to do this.  _

_ “You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will go to the Milan sector of Gabriel-san’s company and remain there to ensure that Adrien and Kagami’s union will go off without a hitch.” Tomoe interrupted. “I don’t want to see you with him at all and do not even try to maintain a friendship with him. As long as Kagami has any sort of relationship with him, you are forbidden to be associated with him.”  _

_ Gabriel stirred, watching Marinette try her best to hold in her tears. “Tomoe, I believe that that may be a bit too harsh–”  _

_ “No. What has to be done is done. This is for the good of both our companies, Gabriel-san, and it is imperative that certain factors, like Mlle Dupain-Cheng for example, don’t stick around to distract either one of them.” Tomoe turned back to the direction where she believed Marinette was standing. “You are forbidden to tell anyone that we have put you up to this, and must admit that you decided to move to Italy on your own accord. Do not let this get out, or else you will be heavily punished. And if you dare to refuse, I am positive Gabriel-san will make no hesitance in firing you and ensuring you have no future in the fashion industry anywhere in the world. Do not dare to think for even a second that Adrien will not have to pay a price as well. Is that clear?”  _

_ Marinette tried very hard to hush her tears. What else was she supposed to do? Not only would her career in fashion go down the drain, but Adrien would have to suffer too. Didn’t he tell her that he would also lose everything he’s worked hard for? “Okay,” she agreed in a quiet voice. “I’ll do it.”  _

_ “Excellent. You will leave for Milan in one week. All your immigration papers will be finalized as soon as possible. We have already applied for a visa and Nathalie has found a few housing options. Good day, Mlle Dupain-Cheng.” Tomoe hobbled away with the usage of her walking stick and left both Gabriel and Marinette in awkward silence.  _

_ “May I go now, Monsieur?” She asked, attempting not to sound smug or enraged.  _

_ “Yes. I will see you tomorrow, Marinette.”  _

_ And with that, he left, and she slipped into her car, finally letting the floodgates open. Resting her head on the steering wheel, Marinette cried, contemplating everything. How could’ve everything gone so wrong? First, Adrien just had to get married to Kagami against his will, and, next, she was told that she couldn’t even see him? Sure, video calls and texts were a reasonable possibility, but it was a risk she wasn’t daring enough to take. What would happen to Adrien if they were caught? What would happen to her? She’d need to tell him that she was leaving.  _

_ She’d need to tell them that they could no longer talk to each other. _ __

_ And that was when Marinette started to cry harder.  _

_ “Marinette, why did you say yes?” Tikki asked, landing on Marinette’s dashboard. Her eyes were dropped in concern, watching as her holder sobbed.  _

_ “I don’t know if either of us would’ve ever recovered if I had chosen to rebel. We could’ve been blacklisted! Sure, I’ll always have the bakery to fall back on, but Adrien has it much, much worse. He would be disowned, and Gabriel would make it impossible for Adrien to get admitted to any university internationally or to receive any job. It’s not fair. I have to protect him. There’s nothing I can do. Adrien and Kagami are going to get married, and I’m going to move to Milan.”  _

_ “But do you know what you’re putting on the line? You may only be able to come home for two weeks out of an entire year. And even then, you wouldn’t be able to talk or hang out with Adrien.”  _

_ “As for being Ladybug, Hawkmoth has rarely ever put out akumas in the last year. If he does so, before I go, I’ll ask Master Fu if I can keep the horse miraculous and use that to teleport myself back to Paris. And as for coming home, I don’t think neither Gabriel nor Tomoe can interfere with my coming home for the holidays. They aren’t that cruel.” Marinette rubbed her eyes. “Tikki, there’s no fighting it, honestly.” _ __

_ “Alright, Marinette.” _

_ Meanwhile, Gabriel walked back into the building and his office, not even bothering to talk to Nathalie before beginning to storm around his office. He banged his fists against the wood of his table, shouting angrily.  _

_ “Sir,” Nathalie began, cautiously walking into the room. “Are you alright?”  _

_ Nooroo flew out beside Nathalie with a scared expression on his face. “Master?”  _

_ “Why the hell am I going through with this deal? My son is miserable, and Marinette is now being blackmailed into moving to a foreign country. To hell with stocks and marketing. I promised myself that I would be a better father to him. Now he hates me even more than he already did.”  _

_ “Gabriel, it’s not like you have a choice in the matter. The board wants you to go through with this deal. You have to oblige. In a best-case scenario, Adrien and Kagami will be very happy together. Worst case…” She cut herself off before she could make Gabriel more frustrated.  _

_ “You know what.” Gabriel removed his tie and tore off the butterfly miraculous. “Nooroo, I renounce you.”  _

_ “Wait, Mast–” The kwami was interrupted by the magical surge that sucked him into the pin. There was a deafening silence plaguing the room. It was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.  _

_ Nathalie stared, dumbfounded. “What are you doing?”  _

_ “I may have trapped my son into a hell of a life he didn’t want. But Marinette… she was his Emelie. I could see it in his eyes, the pure joy he had whenever they were together, even if it during a monotony meeting. I have to change if I want him to forgive me. And that starts with renouncing my miraculous. I am no longer Hawkmoth.”  _

_ “Is that really what you believe you should do?”  _

_ “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my entire life. Someday, Nathalie. I will make it up to my son.”  _

_ *** _

[Current Timeline]

“So, is that what happened. I can see your issue now,” Sabine confirmed after listening to Marinette’s situation. “You were blackmailed by Mme Tsurugi and M Agreste to flee to Milan and cut off all ties with Adrien. That’s why you were extremely hesitant around him when you had come back for the Christmas holidays that December right after you had moved.” 

“Exactly.” Marinette slammed her hands against her face and fell back on her chair. “I don’t want to tell him because he just got on good terms with his father, and to know that Gabriel’s the reason I didn’t talk to him for four years? Adrien would never forgive me or his father.” 

“But if Adrien divorced Kagami several years ago, why didn’t you talk to him?” 

Marinette sheepishly flushed. “I felt needlessly guilty for leaving him. I didn’t want to, I swear. But you heard what happened, I had no choice.” 

“I believe you made the correct decision. Otherwise, both you and he would be in dreadful positions. But I think you should get over your fear and apologize, hmm? Both of you have extra baggage you need to let go of, and the best way to heal is to get all of your anxieties off your chest. When’s the next time you’ll see him?” 

“At work, but he and I are both extremely occupied with tasks regarding the ongoing launch of the fall line. We have private meetings, obviously, but it is essential that we strictly keep those professional. Other than that,2 I have Gabriel Agreste’s Autumn Gala on Friday evening, but I wasn’t exactly planning on going.” 

“Why? Marinette, you have to go! You’re the head designer of  _ Agreste Fashions _ . You’re one of the faces of the company.” 

“It’ll be pretty awkward to be at a social event with Adrien; not to mention it’s one of the most noticeable social gatherings in all of France. Besides, I don’t even have a dress, and how can acquire one elegant enough to wear to  _ the _ Autumn Gala–” 

“You can get yourself a dress. I don’t think it would be that difficult. And, whether you want to ask Adrien for forgiveness or not, I think you should go for the experience. The more popular you grow in the fashion industry, the more of these events you will have to attend.” 

“That fair, I guess,” Marinette huffed. “I can try asking Monsieur Agreste if I can lend a dress for the night because I doubt he’d be okay with me wearing something off the rack.” 

“Good. And don’t worry. Even if he is the reason you had to leave in the first place, and you have every right to be angry at him, I think Monsieur Agreste brought you here for a good reason.” 

“I hope so, Maman,” Marinette repeated the phrase in her head, wishing and praying that if she said it enough times it would come true. Even if she was Paris’s beloved Ladybug, she needed all the lunch she could receive. She went over to her mother and hugged her tightly. “I hope so.” 

***

Of all the things he had to do in a day, Adrien didn’t think being a delivery man would be one of them. Yet, here he was, holding a garment bag of a gown he had to deliver to Marinette as per his father’s orders. He slurped on his mug of coffee with his free hand, his eyes drooping down as the result of little sleep from the night before. Both he and Emma had been up all night due to Emma’s terrible fear of thunderstorms. She had been in his bed all night, crying and screaming at the sound of thunder. Whenever she’d settled down, it would be around an hour before she’d wake up again. 

It was something Adrien was accustomed to, as he too had a fear of thunderstorms when he was her age. But that also meant that both were fatigued to an extent that made both grouchy and miserable, moreso Emma than Adrien. Adrien, after having to take care of a baby and enduring a rash modeling schedule in his youth, was familiar with the feeling of running on low battery, but Emma wasn’t. They had decided to forgo her daycare and she’d come to the office with him, which was why she was currently asleep on the loveseat in his office. 

He knocked on the door to Marinette’s office, waiting for a faint ‘come in’ before opening the door. Marinette was sitting at her desk, several pencils stuck in the bun on her head and sewing supplies scattered around her desk. She was scrubbing away on a large sheet of paper, then pulling a tape measure out of her pocket then quantifying the piece of cut fabric sprawled out on her desk. She seemed completely unphased, despite the fact that he was standing a few feet away from her with a certain package in his hands. It was then that he realized it was most likely Tikki who had answered in place of Marinette. 

“Hi, Tikki,” Adrien called out for the little kwami. “Hey, Marinette.” 

He tried to hate her, he really did. But he couldn’t seem to. Sure, at times he was very uncomfortable around her and they always had this awkward tension sprouting between them, but he hadn’t yelled at her or given the silent treatment since her first day at the office. They weren’t friends, but coworkers, and treated each other as such. 

Marinette’s head snapped up at the mention of her name as Tikki came out of her hiding place, a half-eaten cookie in hand. 

“Hi, Adrien,” Marinette said, pushing herself away from her desk. “Did I miss a meeting or something? I’m so sorry if I did–” 

“No, you didn’t miss any sort of meeting. I was actually here to bring you something as per my Father’s orders. He would’ve brought you it himself, but he’s been extra busy today, considering the Autumn Gala and stuff. I see you’re quite engrossed as well.” He set the garment bag on the armchair. 

“What is that?” 

“This is what Father asked me to bring you. I think he said something about it being for tonight.” 

“Really?” She got up to the bag, carefully unzipping it to reveal a fabric inside. On top of it, however, lay a note. “Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” she read it aloud. “Due to your outstanding contribution to the company this past week, I decided to give you one of the draft designs for the autumn line. It was rejected by most of the designers, but I quite liked it and thought it would look fantastic on you. Feel free to adjust it to your exact measurements, though I should believe they should be rather close. Signed, Gabriel Agreste.” Marinette put the note down in disbelief. “Wow, I guess the rumors are true. He really has gotten nicer.”

Adrien couldn't help but wonder if this was a ploy to get him and Marinette together, though that was rather unlikely. He shrugged off the thought and watched Marinette delicately take the dress out of the black cover, unveiling a white floor-length dress. Both gaped at its beauty, surprised that a design as elegant and pretty as that gown would’ve been rejected. 

“I have to tell Monsieur Agreste thank you. This is beautiful. And gosh, it feels so expensive. How am I going to be able to wear this and not freak out entirely?” 

He chuckled quietly at her comment, ignoring the pestering thoughts about how beautiful she’d look in that gown. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to tear his eyes away from her all night. 

Wait. 

Why was he thinking this way? He was supposed to get over her for god’s sake! Marveling over her beauty would only be counterproductive for his need to move on. Adrien hit himself internally and took another sip of his coffee. “I believe I should be going now. I assume I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

“It was no issue, honestly. This was a nice surprise.” 

He wanted to tell her that she’d look beautiful in it. He wanted to be the one that would kiss her hand at the gala and shower her in compliments. He knew he couldn’t. “I should probably go now.” He ushered himself out of the office. “Good luck on altering that design, Marinette.” 

She gave him a warm, yet hesitant, smile. “Thank you.” 

When he was a few steps away from Marinette’s office, Plagg seized the opportunity to fly out of Adrien’s jacket pocket. The kwami laughed loudly, not failing to hide his amusement at Adrien’s flushed cheeks. 

“I am so glad I decided to stay in your pocket during that meeting. If I would’ve gone with Tikki, I would’ve missed the train wreck that was that meeting!” He chuckled. “It was hilarious how you basically called her beautiful in several different languages.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Plagg crossed his arms. “You were staring at her, Romeo. Blushed when she spoke. Laughed at her joke–that wasn’t even funny, by the way. Aren’t you trying to get over her?”

“It’s not that easy getting over someone you’ve been in love with for thirteen years. Frankly, I think I’m making progress.” 

“Really? A snail can make more progress than you currently are.”

“Gee, thanks,” Adrien grumbled. They walked into Adrien’s office and Plagg disappeared into his mini-fridge full of camembert. Emma was still sound asleep on his couch, understandably so, but great in the long run because Adrien could get some work done in peace and quiet. He tended to the stack of paperwork on this desk, most of which were highlighting the statistics of the launch. 

Adrien's thoughts wandered to how Marinette would look in the dress. Indisputably drop-dead beautiful, that was for sure. Certainly, she’d catch the eye of many. That was, assuming she was actually coming. She had to be, but if she didn’t, it would be much more feasible in his quest to put his feelings for Marinette behind himself. It was like she said on the roof; he could easily find someone interested in him. Now, if only he could find someone he was interested in. 

It had become a coping mechanism of his to look at the scrapbook, and he started keeping it in his desk drawer in case he ever wanted to see it. Though it was a painful reminder that he would never have her again, it was nice to see the memories he cherished so dearly. He flipped to the page of his first anniversary with Marinette, staring at the photo of both of them eating cake sloppily while dressed in their formal attire. They had to attend some sort of masquerade ball, courtesy of the Bourgeoises, and couldn’t celebrate their anniversary as they had wished, but it was worth it nonetheless. After three hours of stolen glances and soft pecks in secluded hallways, they had finally gone back to his place, and he surprised her with a cake–that he had struggled to make–as well as flowers. As they were too lazy to change, and in dire need of a proper commemoration for the special day, they had decided to go straight to eating the cake. Hence, there was cake mushed all over their hands and spread around their mouths. 

There was a number stamped at the bottom of the page, labeling it. It said, “18/09” which marked their anniversary. Adrien checked his calendar. What were the odds that it was September 18th, the day of their anniversary? His finger intuitively traced the outline of Marinette’s face, a warm smile coming up on his lips. Wondering if Marinette also remembered the day of their old anniversary, Adrien put the book away and resumed his work, his smile unwavering. 

“Daddy?” He heard a voice, signaling that Emma had woken up. He rushed over to her, watching her rub her eyes and sit up. She removed the blanket off her legs and yawned. “What time is it?” 

“Around noon. Did you sleep well, darling?” 

“Yeah! I got to meet my friend Albert the unicorn again! And he has a sister, her name is Lola!” 

“That’s really cool, princess. I’m glad you slept well. Are you hungry? It’s almost my lunch break and I think we could go out to your favorite restaurant and grab a bite to eat,” he suggested, getting up from his crouch and making sure he finished all the work he intended to get done before stopping to eat. “Ready to go?” 

Emma smiled, taking his hand and pulling him along as she rapidly skipped through the hallways. 

***

Marinette wasn’t sure of when the last time she was wearing a gown of this degree of beauty, but she wasn’t complaining at all. She spun a three-sixty in front of the mirror as Alya had instructed. 

“Damn, girl! You look hot!” She whisper-shouted, careful not to wake Asher, who was asleep in her lap, up. “You’re really telling me that Gabriel Agreste gave you this dress?” 

“Yeah, I am just as shocked as you are. It’s gorgeous, right?” She twirled her finger around a lock of hair and turned back to the mirror to admire it once again. It was a white dress with black lace detailing around the bottom, the front a higher cut than the back. It was a sweetheart neckline with no sleeves, impractical for the chilliness of the night, but beautiful nonetheless. She had paired the ensemble with black heels and a black diamond necklace–one that she was rather proud of as it was her first leisurely purchase she had made for herself. Her hair had been left down, pulled to one side, and curled slightly at the ends. Marinette sighed. She looked–and felt–as beautiful as a princess. 

“You better get going now, it’s almost six-thirty and I think the limo should be here soon,” Alya commented, picking up her belongings. 

“Yeah, you’re right!” Marinette picked up her clutch. “It was very kind of Monsieur Agreste to let me ride there with him and his family.” 

“If you ask me, Monsieur Agreste is being a bit too uncharacteristically nice towards you. I wouldn’t be surprised if this for some sort of ulterior motive.” 

“That’s just your reporter brain speaking. I’m sure this is just because of my promotion and he just wants to ensure that the people of high position in the company represent properly. I don’t think he would like it very much if I show up in an off-the-rack dress and come out of a car that doesn’t look luxurious at all. It’s only fair, Alya. But, on the other hand, I am still a little suspicious. It’s a little weird that he’s the one who made me move to Milan and then brought me back. And now he’s being nice. I was shocked when I read the note he left me with the dress.”

Alya’s eyes went wide. “ _ He’s _ the reason you were forced to move to a different country?”

“Yeah. It’s a long story and I’ll explain later, but I kinda think he’s trying to apologize.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“The dress, the limo ride, and he’s being weirdly kind. I agree, he did bring me back for some sort of ulterior motive.” Her eyes drifted up to the clock on the wall, signaling that it was time both of them got ready to leave. “Now, we should both head out. If Adrien and his family are on their way here, that means Emma is already at your place.” 

“Right. Bye, girl! Have fun at your fancy-people party! And be careful.” 

“I will. You have fun taking care of two children and two crying babies.” 

“Emma doesn’t cry whenever she’s over. In fact, I’ve only seen her cry a few times in all her four years.”

“I was talking about Nino,” Marinette deadpanned, though the laughter showing through her eyes defeated the purpose of her sarcastic tone. 

“Touché.” They hugged once again and Alya left, leaving Marinette to wait for the limousine to arrive. It did come soon enough, and the chauffeur–Gorilla, Marinette remembered–got out of the front seat to open the back for her. She graciously got in, greeting Gabriel, Nathalie, and Adrien, all of which were perfectly dressed for the event. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of Adrien, who had his hair neatly styled and was clad in a tuxedo tailored perfectly to his measurements.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted, sitting next to Adrien as that was the only seat left. “Thank you, Monsieur Agreste, again, for letting me come with you all.” 

“It was no big deal. You’re my new head designer, and you’ve done commendable work in this company.” 

Marinette flushed at the praise and stared out the window, only contributing to the silence plaguing the air. The only sound that could be heard was the faint music playing in the driver’s area. Yet, after a few minutes of unbearable discomfort, they arrived at the gala and were greeted by large herds of paparazzi crowding outside the car. The Agrestes were able to make it out of the limousine with ease, while Marinette had to dodge the flood of people. There were shouts and screams once Adrien got out of the car, and he mostly just waved and walked towards the entrance. Marinette attempted to do the same. 

A reporter, however, had made his way up to Adrien and Marinette and asked, “Monsieur Agreste! Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng! We have intel that the two of you are dating! Can you confirm the rumors?” 

Dumbfounded, Adrien and Marinette exchanged quick glances then look back at the reporter. “What evidence?” she inquired, sounding unintentionally uncomfortable. 

“We have several photos of the two of you together. One when you two were talking in a grocery store parking lot, another when you two are walking to a restaurant, and–this one’s probably the best part–almost kissing in Adrien Agreste’s car! There’s no way you two aren’t dating after that!” 

Adrien and Marinette reciprocated glints a second time. His eyes were wide, a slight blush dusting his face at the accusatory words. Unaware of what else to do, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside, wondering why he was so flabbergasted towards the news that all of their seemingly private moments had been caught on camera. Shouldn’t Adrien have been used to this by now? He used to be a model, for heaven’s sake, his entire life was in the spotlight. Didn’t he tell her that whenever he was caught with a woman–one that was ostensibly close to his age–in public, there would be magazine articles highlighting his love life? He seemed to brush those off, so why not her? Why was he so shocked at the news that they were being shipped by gossip magazines and celebrity articles? Didn’t he hate her? Why was his reaction so different?

“I’m gonna go,” she said, moving away from him. His stunned expression was resolute, an action that scared her. “Hey!” she waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you alright?” 

Adrien quickly nodded, all sense of composure flying out the window. “Fine! Fine… I’m perfectly okay. You go have fun, Marinette.”

“Oookay…” She said, stretching the vowel. Though that small encounter seemed to leave the both of them a little (a lot) shaken up, when she opened her mouth to speak again, Adrien was gone. Shrugging, Marinette ambled to the buffet table, dazzled by the sheer amount of foods displayed. She grabbed a flute of bubbling champagne and a chocolate cupcake. As she ate the cupcake, her eyes scanned the room for anyone she knew–anyone except Adrien. An orchestra was playing in the corner, and Adrien was talking to someone on the other side of the room. He looked happy and laughing like he didn’t have a care in the world. 

She wished she was the one who was making him laugh like that. 

Instead of finding someone else she knew, the sight of Gabriel walking right in her direction caught her eye. Marinette knew that Gabriel realized she acknowledged his presence when he gave her a small nod and pushed his glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

“Monsieur Agreste,” Marinette flashed a smile and stuffed the rest of the cupcake in her mouth. 

“Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, glad you’re enjoying the snacks.” They didn’t make eye contact and stood next to each other, Gabriel holding his hands behind his back and Marinette uncomfortably holding her glass of champagne. “You have chocolate frosting on your lip if you care.” 

Face heating up, Marinette grabbed a napkin and whipped her face. “Thank you, Monsieur.” 

They stayed silent for a while, looking out to the rest of the party. Marinette shifted uncomfortably, sipping on her drink to stop herself from saying something she would regret. Thankfully, Gabriel beat her to talking first. 

“You know that I was the one that pressured you into going to Italy. Now I must ask you. Why did you stay with  _ Agreste Fashions _ ?”

“Permission to speak freely?” She waited for him to nod before going on. “I like the company, and I didn’t want to put mine or Adrien’s future at stake. I was mad at you for a long time, though. And I won’t lie if I said that the pay grade was more than decent.” 

“I see.” 

“Now I have a few questions for you, Monsieur Agreste. Why did you threaten me to go to Milan? Why did you break me up with Adrien if you know how happy it was making him? Why did you bring me back to Paris? And why to hell are you being so kind and giving towards me?” She didn’t notice it, but her grip on the glass got tighter and her tone grew angrier with every passing question. She couldn’t help it. She wanted answers, and he was the only one capable of giving them to her. 

“To answer your inquiries, mademoiselle, I was in a binding contract with Tomoe Tsurugi that included strengthening both companies by forming a union between our successors. It was too late by the time I detected the relationship between you and my son. I didn’t want to break you two up, but there was no way I could leave the agreement without losing millions of dollars. I would’ve gone near bankruptcy and life for Adrien would’ve been even harder. That’s why Tomoe imposed the proposition that you move to Italy. After she found out, she didn't want you anywhere close to Adrien and forced me into following her plan.” 

Marinette’s eyes were wide. “So that’s why you looked like you were looking regretful the entire time, right?” 

“Precisely. Adrien and I are now on the best terms we’ve ever been since he was a child and Emelie was alive. I thought that bringing you back would make him happier, but now I see that was a giant misfire–” 

“I still love him.” 

“Pardon?”

“I still love your son. That’s why I’ve done any of this. That’s why I left for Milan six years ago. That’s why I’ve come back to Paris. Monsieur Agreste, while I know your intentions were in the right place, I think that this wasn’t the best way to handle that. He was really hurting, and so was I.” 

“I know that. And I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” 

“Sir, I think that it’s always reasonable to see the best in people. And while I can’t wholeheartedly forgive you just yet, I see how much you love your family and would do anything for them. That’s commendable.” 

He gave her a warm smile. “Thank you, Marinette.” 

“I should be thanking you. You’re the one who brought me back to my home, even if you were the one that took me away in the first place. Now, if you don’t mind, I should be moving away from this table before I eat it in its entirety.” 

“I believe I have a few people I need to greet as well. Pleasure conversing with you, Marinette.”

“Same here, Monsieur.”


	9. Autumn Gala Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloé is in back in Paris after spending the last several years in New York and she’s not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd part of the last chapter! I am also proud to announce that I have finished writing the last three chapters of this story and boy, they’re fun!

“Adrien! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Chloé beamed, rushed over to him– well, as fast as he could with her stiletto heels. Her dress was blinding with the number of sequins decorating it, her makeup bold and bright, and her hair pulled up into a slick ponytail. 

“Chloé, I didn’t know you were back from New York!” He hugged her tightly, happy to see his first friend come home after so long. What he wasn’t happy about, however, was the annoying sequins scratching against his hands. He ignored that displeasure. “When did you arrive?” 

“Two nights ago. I thought I’d surprise you.”

“This was a great surprise.”

“So how are you doing? Last I saw you, Emma was a little baby and you were newly divorced.” 

Adrien weighed his options. He could either tell her he was fine and get over the whole conversation or tell her the truth. Despite his best interests, he went with route one. “Fine. You?” 

“So damn tired. Jet lag is utterly ridiculous. How’s Emma? Is she here?” 

“She’s at Alya and Nino’s. She gets really riled at these kinds of events and gets bored after an hour. Once she’s bored, she doesn’t leave me alone. I’ve stopped taking her to them.” 

“That’s a shame. I’ll have to stop by sometime to see her. It’s been a while.” 

“It sure has. When do you fly back?”

“Not for a few more weeks. I love Mum, but working for her gets really tiring for a while.” 

“That makes sense. Audrey Bourgeois is definitely something,” Adrien agreed. “Would you like to come over for dinner Sunday night? We can catch up properly and you can meet Emma.” 

“I think my calendar’s clear, but if it’s not, I’ll clear it just for you, Adri-chou.” 

“Glad to hear it.” 

“Chloé? Hi! I haven’t seen you in forever!” They heard a voice and turned around at the sight of it. It was Marinette, still wearing her beautiful dress and that adorable smile, and gosh why did this woman have to be so unbearably gorgeous? Adrien felt his cheeks burn and he looked down so no one would notice. 

“Dupain-Cheng…” The words were sour against Chloé’s tongue and her teeth were evidently gritted. “Lovely to see you again.” Adrien looked at the two in confusion. While he and Marinette were dating all those years ago, the two girls had made up and became friends. Why was Chloé acting this way? 

“Hey, Marinette…” Adrien looked at the two of them and noticed his Chloé looked like she was plotting murder. The hint of evil shone in her eyes, which made Adrien wonder what exactly had happened between the two. “Chlo? Do you want me to leave?” 

Chloé ignored him. “What are you doing back here?” 

Marinette’s smile vanished and quickly turned to a frown. “What do you mean? I moved back here recently.” 

“And they say I’m the bully.” Chloé clenched her fists and her fine eyebrows were furrowed. 

“You’re not a bully, Chloé. You’ve redeemed yourself.” 

“Yeah, I’m gonna go,” Adrien took his opportunity to leave but was halted by Chloé.

“We’ll go, Adrien. You have fun. This is between Marinette and me.”

They departed and he was left to ponder exactly what happened. 

***

Being hauled out of the room was not an experience Marinette enjoyed. Chloé’s nails dug into the skin of Marinette’s wrist as she dragged her through the clumps of people and out the door. Chloé finally let go of her tight grasp once they were alone in the secluded hallway, a smug and disgusted look on her face. Her hands were crossed and her heel clicked against the wooden floor. 

“Dupain-Cheng, I see you’ve made quite the splash with your return home.”

Marinette frowned. What was going on? “What, are you talking about the gossip magazines about Adrien and me? Because there's nothing there, I swear.” 

Chloé didn’t respond for a few minutes. “How dare you just act like everything’s okay.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

Chloé pushed Marinette against the wall and clenched forcefully around Marinette’s forearms. “Don’t you act like you didn’t just leave Adrien to rot with that bitch Kagami. Adrien cried for you after you left. He would wake up in the middle of the night and scream.” Chloé’s voice broke. “You ran off when he needed you most. You didn’t even bother to call or text, nor did you even try to get in contact with him. Don’t you think, even for a second, that you’re the victim here. You’re not.” 

Marinette felt tears build in her eyes. She couldn’t cry. Not here. “Adrien was really that broken after I moved away?” 

“Alya, Nino, and I had to try everything to get him to smile. He wouldn’t even talk, not unless it was absolutely necessary. That was the worst time of his life. He wouldn’t even talk to his Kagami either. They wouldn’t eat meals together, spend any time together, or even act like friends as they did before getting married. It was because Adrien was more miserable than he could describe in words. He was feeling that way because of you.” 

“It wasn’t my choice to break up with him, you know that. It’s not fair that you’re pinning this all on me.” 

“Of course not. I’m aware that Uncle Gabe was the reason for that marriage, I’m not stupid.” 

“Then why are you accusing me?” 

Chloé’s grip only became tighter, and Marinette felt her wrists begin to gain a blue-ish hue. Marinette sighed. She couldn’t help but feel the need to blame herself. While trying to make sure that he wouldn’t have to suffer, he was hurting so badly and wouldn’t disclose what was wrong with him. She could’ve been there for him. Dried his tears and told him that everything would be okay in the end. He wouldn’t need to feel such pain. He didn’t deserve to be in such distress. 

She remembered that when she was around seventeen and it was shortly after the reveal, Adrien, as Chat Noir, would come to her balcony more often than not and spend the evening with her. At school, they always had this awkward tension bubbling between them, but that never happened when she and he used to hang out when he came to visit. They’d play video games, do homework together, and laugh until they were crying. 

Until one tragic night.

Even though it had been years since her battle against Chat Blanc, she found herself reliving the traumatizing experience through nightmares. She’d wake up in cold sweats, crying, screaming, or trembling. It was something she was ashamed of and never disclosed to anyone, not even Adrien, even though he was her best friend at the time. She started getting less sleep than usual and often avoiding going to bed so she wouldn’t have to endure the night terrors. 

That night that Chat Noir had come over, they were watching a movie and didn’t realize it was past midnight. He was getting set to leave when Marinette had asked him to stay the night and said that she didn’t want to be alone. He happily agreed and snuggled in beside her, and they both drifted off to sleep within minutes. 

That was until the vision of Chat Blanc popped into her head. 

Chat, who was de-transformed so Plagg could sleep, noticed Marinette crying and shaking and jolted awake out of pain and fear. He listened to her mumbles until she finally woke up with a shrill scream. Her parents came up into the room and Marinette quickly stuffed Adrien under a pillow before Tom and Sabine had made it through the hatch. When they asked if she was alright, however, she said that she was fine and just had an insignificant bad dream. When they were gone, Adrien moved from his hiding spot and said the words that would ring through her head for years to come. 

“Why did you say that you were okay? I heard you cry, Marinette. You mumbled something about me and you sounded like you were…” His voice trailed off as tears started flowing down his cheeks. “I can’t see you like this, Mari.” 

Marinette gave a pained smile and cupped his cheeks. “Forget about the nightmares,” she had said. “I’m perfectly fine, and that’s all because you’re here. I care for you, kitty, and I will be fine as long as you’re right beside me.” 

He enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine too.” 

Now, as she was being pinned up against a wall by a vengeful Chloé, a tear couldn’t help but escape her eye. Marinette left him. She wasn’t beside him and he crumbled. It seemed like a meaningless sentence at the time. But now? Marinette realized just how important that string of words was. 

“Chloé,” she pleaded. “Please, let me go.”

“I’m going to make you pay for what you did,” Chloé stressed. “You hurt him so badly, and I’m never going to forgive you.” 

“That’s fair. If I was in your position, I’d never forgiven myself either. And I haven’t. I kicked myself every day for going through with Monsieur Agreste’s awful threat, and all I wanted to was race home.” 

Throughout her rant, Marinette had failed to notice Chloé’s stark-pale face and loosened grip. Marinette tore her wrists out from Chloé’s clutches and watched as she retained all the information. 

“This was all Uncle Gabe’s doing? Sending you to Milan? Not letting you talk to Adrien? All of it?” She asked. 

Marinette nodded. “Unfortunately so. But I don’t think you should tell anyone else. If Adrien finds out he’ll be crushed. And he’s going to find out soon enough. I’ve left him some voicemails explaining everything shortly after I came home, but it seems he hasn’t listened to them. I don’t want him to.” 

“Wait, Marinette. I haven’t forgiven you or anything, and what you did is still utterly ridiculous, but I just need to know. Was any of that your choice?” Chloé sounded much more empathetic, but still a tinge agitated. 

Marinette sighed and explained to Chloé what had happened. Before she knew it, Chloé had wrapped her in a hug. Even when the two of them were friends they’d only hugged once or twice, as neither felt like they could show physical affection towards the other. 

“I know what that feeling is like,” Chloé said. “Not being able to decide what happens in your future. That’s how I became a model for my mother in New York. I wanted to go to university and get a degree in law… become more like my father. I wasn’t allowed to. My whole life was prearranged for me. I’m not mad at you. I shouldn’t be. I wasn’t even annoyed with you, just the situation Adrien was in. I don’t want you two to keep hurting like this. Why don’t you want Adrien to listen to your voicemails?” 

“Because I’m a jerk. I don’t deserve Adrien’s love, I know. He told me that he loved me when I first came back to Milan and I broke his heart again. And I know that I’m not worthy of still loving him either. Even if we do still have feelings for each other, I… I don’t think I’m the one he should end up with. He deserves someone that’s not as bad as I am. Someone that will be there for him all the time, no matter what.”

Chloé looked flabbergasted. “What are you saying?” 

It was getting harder for her to conceal her tears. Marinette wiped them away and kept her head down, pulling her phone out and calling for a taxi. She couldn’t stay at this party, she just couldn’t. “I have to go home.” 

“Wait, Marinette–” Before Chloé could finish, Marinette was out the door. 

***

“Adrikins! There you are,” Chloé said, relieved, and not caring that she had interrupted a conversation between him and a few of his father’s colleagues. 

“Excuse me a second,” Adrien bid his pardon and moved a few steps, far enough so they were out of earshot. “Can it wait? I was in the middle of an important conversation.” He crossed his arms. 

“No, it can’t. At least, I don’t think it should.” She took a deep breath, mustering up all her thoughts. “I want you to be happy.” 

“What do you mean? I’m perfectly happy and content with my life. Now, I really gotta get back to my discussion–” 

“Do you love Marinette?”

Adrien’s eyes went wide and his heart started beating louder at the sound of the name. “Of course,” he answered truthfully. “Why?” 

“There’s a piece of this puzzle that both of you are missing. I understand that Marinette left you voicemails.” 

“A few.” 

“You can finish your discussion now if you must, but you have to listen to those voicemails. It’s important.” 

“What did you do to Marinette? What are you doing now?” 

“Just trust me. Please.” 

Adrien weighed his options. He could, on one hand, heed Chloé’s advice and listen to Marinette’s voicemails. On the other hand, he could just completely ignore everything Chloé had said thus far and go on with his day. He didn’t know whether he could put up with five or six recordings of Marinette explaining why she didn’t love him anymore and how she thought that through said recordings, she could let him down gently. 

But he really, really wanted to fix things between them. 

And maybe, possibly this could be the way. 

“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll listen to them. But if I have any reason to regret my decision, you’re to blame.” 

“It’s a deal.”

They parted ways and Adrien finished up his conversation, though it was much longer than he liked before he was able to sneak out to the hallway where he could listen to the messages in private. His heart was racing as he clicked on the first one as if he was uncovering some secret that could change his whole life. 

_Hey, Adrien._ Her voice came out of his phone. It dated to the day after their argument, and her voice sounded hoarse. Like she was crying. _I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to right now. I get that. It’s completely understandable. If I were you, I’d probably ignore myself and never talk to myself again. But that’s beside the point._ She sniffled. _I bet you know what I’m going to say. If you were here, you’d say something like ‘I would always know what you’re going to say, m’lady. You know how purr-fectly in sync we are.’ And then I’d hit you for your terrible pun and carry on._ Adrien smiled. He would say that. 

_I just want to tell you that I wasn’t entirely honest with you last night. I love you, Adrien Agreste, I love you so much I wish that I wasn’t packing to go back to Milan right now. I wish I could jump into your arms and show you just how much I love you, but I know that’s never gonna happen. We’re not kids anymore, and I know that you won’t just forgive me right off the bat._ She sniffed again. _But I hope that this could maybe show you how sorry I am. Maybe, we could possibly be friends again, but I know that isn’t gonna happen either. I don’t deserve your love or your friendship. I broke your heart. Twice. And I left you and you were hurting and I…_ She trailed off, bursting into tears. Adrien’s heart shattered. His lady was in pain and he didn’t even know. _I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t talk to you, I couldn’t be with you. So yeah. If you happen to be listening to this, please, please, please call me back. I have a lot to explain._

The line went dead. Adrien moved on to the next call. 

_Adrien, hi. I’m getting ready to go back to the train station. Maman and Papa are loading my bags in the car as we speak. Please call me or text me or anything. If you ask me to, I won’t leave Paris, I swear. It doesn’t feel right, leaving you again. I told you last time that I couldn’t do anything to help you when you were left alone after I moved to Milan. It’s not my fault. There’s an entire reason, and I know, it sounds like I’m saying an excuse, and, to be honest, it kinda is. I don’t think there’s anything I can say for you to forgive me. I just want to give it a shot._

_Bye Adrien._

The next one played. 

_Hey, Adrien. On the train. Hope you’re alright. Call me back when you hear this._

The fourth one started and Adrien felt like he couldn’t take it anymore. Marinette sounded so sad, so regretful, so guilty. He couldn’t bear to hear her like this. He didn’t even listen to what she said in that one. It was short, just like the one before.

This next one, however, wasn’t. 

_Hey, Adrien, judging as you have not picked up any of my calls, I just wanted to tell you, again, that I’m really, truly sorry. I hope you’re doing all right and holding up okay. I didn’t mean what I said Friday night, I don’t know what I was thinking. I do care about you and cherish the days we spent together when we were dating five years ago and when I came back to Paris for the trip, but I guess it was just my anxiety telling me that our relationship would end the same way all over again. I know, this sounds so stupid, and I know if you don’t want to give me a second chance. But please, all I’m requesting is that you give me a shot to explain myself. So… yeah. Bye. I love you._

Adrien gave a small smile of joy.  
Hearing her say that she loved him gave him the smallest ray of hope, and he wished he hadn’t ruined it. There were two messages left. He started the second-to-last one. 

_Hey, Chaton. I’m going to try my best to explain everything here because you haven’t called me back. I hope I can clear a few things up. It was five years ago, back on the day after you and I broke up. We kept avoiding each other, and you didn’t stop by my office to give me coffee like you always did. I was heartbroken, as you were. When I was returning to my car that evening, I was approached by your father and Kagami’s mother. They knew about me and you, and they forced me to go to Milan and cut off all ties with you. They told me that they’d do terrible things to you and me if I didn’t agree, so I did it. I couldn’t bear to know that I’d be the reason your life would turn to shit._

Adrien grew angry. This was all his father’s fault? Why wasn’t he surprised? 

_Even after you and Kagami broke up I was too embarrassed and disappointed in myself to talk to you again. That’s why I ignored you whenever I came home. That's why I refused to listen to your apologies or be your friend again. And the night you told me you loved me. I was too caught off guard to properly understand what you were saying, and I panicked. I’m sorry, Kitty. I love you, and I feel so terrible for all that I put you through. Please tell me you forgive me._

Adrien was rendered speechless. Is that what truly happened? All this and she still was in love with him the whole time. “I forgive you, Mari,” he uttered, barely audibly, a tear slipping down his cheek. He pressed the last one, noticing it was less than a minute long and it dated to Marinette’s first day back. 

_Hi. I just thought you’d like to know that I was constantly calling you to let you know that I was coming back to Paris so you’d be a bit more prepared. After our little… argument today, I realized it’s best that I give up hope. If you are, by any chance, listening to this, could we possibly meet up for coffee or something like that? I just want to apologize again. After that, you and I can go our separate ways. I’m sorry, but I can’t leave you alone. I can’t see you miserable like this. Nino and Alya told me about how sad you were. I don’t think it’s fair that you’re getting so frustrated over my mistake. You need to be happy, not just for yourself, but for Emma. You need someone who can make you happy. You need someone like how you were to me when I was having my nightmares. That person’s not me._

The line went dead, and the hallway bore a deafening silence. Adrien hadn’t realized when tears started welling up in his eyes and a few droplets were flowing down his cheeks, but he didn’t care. He knew that leaving him wasn’t her fault. He knew that she wouldn’t purposefully do anything of the nature. She was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, for heaven’s sake. She was the person that treated everyone with kindness and utmost respect. She was the one that had a solution to every problem. And now that she was giving up? He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. If only he’d listened to her voicemails. Then they wouldn’t have to put themselves through this horrendous game of cat and mouse that constantly put their hearts on the line. 

He knew what he had to do. 

Adrien ran back into the room where the gala was being held, trying to scout out Marinette or Chloé amongst the crowd. His pace grew frantic as if the more time he wasted the worse the situation would become. He saw his father and quickly walked in the other direction. That was a problem in and of itself and one he couldn’t deal with as of currently. He found Chloé quickly after, thanks to her stunningly bright dress that seemed to be glowing under the lights. 

“Chloé!” He yelled louder than necessary, but he didn’t care. He had to get his girl back. 

“Adrien, did you listen to them?” She responded, setting her glass of wine on the table. 

He nodded. “Where’s Marinette?” 

“Oh, she left, honey. Said something about not deserving you.”

“She said something like that in her messages too. Chloé, do you know where she went? I really need to make this right.” 

“Knowing the girl, she went home. Probably crying and eating a tub of ice cream and thinking about what could’ve been.” Chloé rolled her eyes. “I don’t think she could’ve gone anywhere else.” 

“Right. I gotta go.” He turned around and began running, but stopped dead in his tracks. “Thank you, Chloé.” 

“Anytime, Adrien. You’re worth happiness.” 

***

Adrien hadn’t realized when it started raining, but he didn’t care. He smiled. This was a good sign. He left the gala, escaping the radius of creeping paparazzi, and transformed in the Chat Noir the first chance he got. Then he bolted. 

Chat ran as fast as his feet would carry him, his sopping wet hair galling onto his eyes and the droplets of water blurring his vision. The slipperiness of the sidewalk made it harder to run but could do it. He’d have to do it. This was Marinette, after all. His first love, one he’d fallen in with twice. Someone he could imagine spending the rest of his life with. They’d move into their dream house, right in the heart of Paris, and they’d have two more kids. Emma would enjoy having siblings, she’d always asked for them. But he couldn’t get ahead of himself. He’d have to successfully ask her out first. 

There was one thing for certain. He needed his Marinette. 

He found an alleyway by the bakery and quickly de-transformed, knowing that it would be better to win her back as Adrien than as Chat Noir. It wasn’t the most ideal scenario, considering the power of the miraculous didn’t dry him off and his clothes and hair were still drenched. He ignored the disgusting feeling of the tux sticking to his skin and ran to the bakery, knocking on the door before a set of lights turned on and Tom and Sabine came racing down the stairs. 

Sabine gasped. “Adrien, you’re soaking wet! I’ll go fetch you a towel–” 

“Thank you, but there’s no need. Is Marinette home?” 

“She is, but she’s not in the best condition,” Tom explained. “She came home in tears.” 

“Please,” Adrien stressed. “I really, really need to talk to her.” 

Tom and Sabine exchanged a glance, maybe discussing the whole situation with one another. Finally, Sabine uttered, “I’ll bring her down.” She left with a sweet smile on her face. 

“What are your intentions with my daughter?” Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Adrien smiled surely. “I made a mistake, and I want to fix it. I just want to make Marinette happy, that’s all.” 

Tom grinned. “I know there was a reason I said yes when you asked us for our blessing to propose to Marinette the first time around. I trust you, son.” 

“Thank you, sir.” 

“Don’t mess it up. If Marinette ends up heartbroken, it’s on you.” 

He left and Marinette came down a few moments later, wrapping a gray wool cardigan over her dress. Her hair was messed up and her makeup was running, but she still looked stunning as always.

“What are you doing here?” 

Adrien sighed. “Something right, I hope. I’m really, really sorry I didn’t give you a chance to justify yourself.” 

Marinette shrugged and tugged the sweater closer. “It’s alright. I’m to blame as well. I shouldn’t have left you.” 

“No, you had to. You did it out of the kindness and sweetness of your heart, and listening to your voicemails made me realize how much I wanted to be with you.” 

“You… you listened to the voicemails.” 

He nodded. “Yeah, I did.” He pulled out his phone and held it up. His hand was shaking out of fear and adrenaline. Did you mean what you said?” 

She gulped and braced herself for what was coming. “Every word.” 

He beamed and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. Neither cared that he was soaking wet. Frankly, Adrien had forgotten. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered, voice husky and soft. 

“Please.” 

They didn’t waste any time in meeting the other’s lips, falling into a normal rhythm that both had severely missed. After five years of depriving themselves, kissing each other felt like pure heaven, and neither wanted to ever let go. After four, five, six kisses, they separated with idiotic grins on their faces. 

“I missed you,” she spoke softly, her lips inches away from his. 

“I missed you too,” he replied. “Happy Anniversary, by the way.” 

“You remembered?” She sounded relieved, and as was he. This whole ordeal was finally over and it ended with the two of them happy.

He grinned. “How could I forget? We stood, seven years ago, out in the rain, like two complete idiots, and I grabbed both of your hands,” he brought her out in the downpour, no longer underneath the security of the awning, and grabbed both her hands. A blush spread across her face as he continued. “And I told you that there’s no one else in the whole world that could make me as happy as you do.” 

Marinette smiled at the memory. “Then you brought your head down, leaned your forehead against mine and kissed my cheek.” He did the same, bending down so her forehead could meet his. 

“And then I told you I loved you. That sentiment is still true, and I’m all yours, if you’ll have me.” 

Marinette kissed him again in response, cupping her hands around his cheeks and standing on the balls of her feet so she could reach his face. Adrien brought his hands up to her hair and ran his fingers through her damp locks. Neither minded that their designer clothes were getting soaked or that they’d probably both end up with nasty head colds come morning. Adrien bent his head down, deepening the kiss and holding her closer to him. He heard Marinette softly moan and he smiled into the kiss. He couldn’t be happier. He was finally back in the arms of his love and he didn’t want to be anywhere else. 

They broke off the kiss, both equally breathless. 

“I love you, too,” Marinette whispered, and caught his lips again. 


End file.
